Arial is a typeface in widespread use because the computer font is packaged with several Microsoft Corporation applications. It was designed by Monotype as a cheaper substitute for Linotype's popular Helvetica.

Though similar to Helvetica in both proportion and weight, Arial is in fact a variation of Monotype's Grotesque series, and was designed with computer use in mind. Subtle changes and variations have been made to both the letterforms and the spacing between characters, in order to make it more readable on screen and at various resolutions. As with some other Microsoft-designed typefaces, Arial is widely held in disregard by professional typographers.

Arial has shipped with Microsoft Windows since the introduction of TrueType technology in Windows 3.1.

Sample

The following paragraph will be displayed in Arial if it is installed on your machine. If not, a monospace font is used:

External links

• The Scourge of Arial — historical information on how Arial came to be
• How to tell Arial, Helvetica, and Grotesque apart