How to Find Free Helvetica Fonts

Written by:  • Edited by: Daniel P. McGoldrick
Updated Jan 30, 2011
• Related Guides: Fonts

Helvetica is one of the best known typefaces. There's even been a documentary, named "Helvetica" made of its origins and uses. But if Helvetica didn't come with any of your desktop publishing software, it can cost a few dollars to pick up the font.

Helvetica is one of the more commonly used fonts, however it can be expensive to purchase if it didn't come with your desktop publishing software. There are a few copy catters out there you can obtain for free that closely mimic the Helvetica style.

Coolvetica

Coolvetica

Coolvetica is the best-known free Helvetica look alike. There are a few differences between Helvetica and Coolvetica, however. The most obvious are the lower case 'q' and 't' which just don't reflect the simplicity of the Helvetica typeface. The changes were made because making an exact replica of Helvetica and giving it away would violate copyright laws. But most viewers who look at Coolvetica will notice something is a little different than usual — even if they can't put their finger on specific typographic details.

Arial

Arial

If you use Windows on your computer, you probably have Arial already installed. Arial is virtually identical to Helvetica — unless you are a typographer ready to examine details like the tail of the lower case 'a.' Depending on your desktop publishing project, Arial may provide an easy solution to your Helvetica needs. It was actually designed as a Helvetica replacement for Microsoft, and looks great in any document from business flyers to family newsletters.

Sans Serif Fonts

Many sans serif fonts are labeled as similar to Helvetica. But even the fonts that are fairly similar to Helvetica have some significant difference, especially if they are available for free. That is, in part, to prevent the creators of those copy-cat fonts from copyright questions. Depending on the style of your project, looking through a database of sans serif fonts may provide you with an ideal match. You can look for certain key words that tell you a designer was thinking of a Helvetica design, such as Swiss or Helv. The names can be particularly subtle: Geneva has been used in the past to reference Helvetica's Swiss origins.


Comments

Showing all 6 comments
 
zuraimey azley Feb 28, 2011 9:33 PM
thanx
Thank you for sharing
Eugen Jan 28, 2011 10:25 AM
Helvetica Font
Tim,

great job indeed!!!

Thanks a lot
Matt Apr 13, 2010 6:18 PM
Font
This is helvetica 100% free! I have it and it just like helvetica but with a FREE download! http://www.fontyukle.com/en/1,Helvetica
Andreas Apr 5, 2010 3:05 AM
Replica?
If you think that are replacements, try "FreeSans" out. It's almost a replica of it, if I didn' t checked it on hi-res I would've thought it was Helvetica itself

And Tim's is also a nice replica, but not an exact one
Maddog Mar 26, 2010 5:00 PM
Heros Font
Tim,

Thanks so much for your recommendation. I had Helvetica as a PS Printer font 20 years ago, but mislaid it somewhere along the way. It does not appear to be a standard font in any of the Adobe packages any more. I have spent much of today looking for a free version, dreading the thought of needing to pay out a few hundred pounds for a basic font I had years ago
Tim Oct 10, 2009 11:52 AM
Tex Gyre Heros
This one's an exact replica of Helvetica and free:
http://www.gust.org.pl/projects/e-foundry/tex-gyre/#Heros

There are other good quality fonts based on some classics in the Tex Gyre collection.
 
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