Franklin Gothic is one of the most readable sans serif typefaces of its style. It is simple, straightforward, and familiar, and it is readable at both small sizes and large. It is suitable for forms and financial documents as well as for presentations, reports, and all kinds of signs and flyers. Its four weights, each with italics (which look like slanted upright letters), along with two narrow weights (without italics), give it a usefully wide range of uses.
Franklin Gothic was originally designed in 1904 as a metal typeface in a single weight by Morris Fuller Benton for the American Type Founders (ATF); it was later extended into several other weights and styles. In 1979, type designer Victor Caruso created a photographic version, ITC Franklin Gothic, for International Typeface Corporation (ITC); this was later converted to be a computer typeface family. The name “Franklin Gothic” comes from Benton’s admiration for Benjamin Franklin, American printer and statesman.
