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Designer Reveals the Fonts Used in the Logos of the World’s Biggest Brands

By Sara Barnes on September 14, 2020

Starbucks

Have you ever looked at a logo and thought, “What font is that?” Well, designer Emanuele Abrate is answering that question with his fascinating project called Logofonts. As the name suggests, Abrate reveals the fonts that are used in some of the world’s biggest brands, from Nike to Spotify to YouTube. He demonstrates exactly how they are used by setting the font’s name in the same way that it appears in the company’s logo.

The goal of Logofonts is simple. “It is to try to find out which font has been used for the logo (or which font has been modified or used as a base, since most famous logos use custom typography),” Abrate tells My Modern Met. This involves research. “I consult the various brand manuals, and then visually compare the original font with the logo. I often recognize the font at a glance, but I also help myself with tools like WhatTheFont, or consult the various forums.”

Scrolling through the popular Logofonts Instagram, you’ll see just how many companies use a variation of Helvetica in their branding. But this shouldn’t come as a surprise—the amount of typefaces it offers, paired with its clean aesthetic, makes the font a great choice for a variety of brands. (There’s even an excellent documentary about Helvetica’s legacy.)

Abrate touches on this trend as he reflects on the project so far. “Each logo font for me is a surprising discovery,” he explains. “The most interesting thing is to observe how the same font can assume a different face depending on the logo where it is used and depending on the weight Omega, Supreme, Gillette, PayPal, RedBull use Futura, but they have a completely different impact, approach, and mood.”

Scroll down to see what fonts massive companies have used. For more, follow the Logofonts Instagram.