Skip to content
Home / Fonts / Type Associates / Empirical
Empirical

Empirical™

by Type Associates
Individual Styles from $32.50 USD
Complete family of 12 fonts: $210.00 USD
Empirical Font Family was designed by Russell Bean and published by Type Associates. Empirical contains 12 styles and family package options.

More about this family
FREE 30-DAY TRIAL of Monotype Fonts to get over 150,000 fonts from more than 1,400 type foundries. Start free trial
Start free trial

About Empirical Font Family


When I first approached this design back in 2003 I wrote myself a design brief that called for a simple sans serif "avec serifs" (with serifs).

Its emphasis needed to be on text usage but to be at home in display sizes. A range of weights with a controlled step from one weight to the next, uniform character sets, spacing and kerning throughout the range. Attention to openness of counter spaces would be paramount to work in text sizes. Matching italics should be true italics not merely slanted - with a cursive feel.

During extensive testing I decided to include a suite of ligatures to eliminate the hairline gaps that occur between slab serifs at display sizes. The user may activate "Discretionary Ligatures" or "Stylistic Set 1" for ligatures that are not included in the Standard Ligatures (ff, fi, fl, ffi and ffl).

A concise User Guide can be downloaded at this link.

Designers: Russell Bean

Publisher: Type Associates

Foundry: Type Associates

Original Foundry: Type Associates

Design Owner: Type Associates

MyFonts debut: Oct 20, 2009

Empirical™ is a trademark of Type Associates.

About Type Associates

Type Associates was formed in 1993 to provide typographic services to a core group of design, advertising and print clients. With more than 50 years of experience designing typefaces, using type and designing logos, Type Associates offers typography and font customizing services to the advertising, design and web industries. Type Associates is constantly adding new typeface designs to its collection with an emphasis on practical, enduring designs.

Read more

Read less