Apple font. 6 free fonts in its lettering style.
For Apple lettering, start with Inter at weight 500 (grotesque made for screens).
6 / 6
Chosen by eye · sans serif
Inter
Apple
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Among the 6 Apple picks: the widest and the tallest x-height.
Nearest other pick by our lab: Instrument Sans, score 80; Inter is 2.2% wider, x-height 7% taller, 4.5% darker, and 6% less stroke contrast.
Inter: 9 weights, italics; Apple set here at 500.
- ✓Web
- ✓Logo
- ✓Selling
- OFL 1.1
What people make with Apple lettering
People look for the Apple font to make app mock-ups, slides and portfolios in the manner of Apple’s own pages. Inter at weight 500 was made for screens, so it suits an interface; Instrument Sans at weight 500 is a touch warmer for slides. Geist at weight 500 is crisp and compact, handy when an Apple-style app screen has little room.
The type behind Apple
SF Pro (neo-grotesque sans serif, 2014) is the system font of Apple’s platforms, licensed only for making apps for them.
San Francisco®, named here for Apple, is a trademark of Apple Inc.; FontForThat is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
Sources
Apple picks, measured
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| Font | Why | Set at | Nearest pick | Width | x-height | Ink | Contrast | Weights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | Grotesque made for screens | 500 | Instrument Sans, 80 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 9 |
| Geist | Crisp and compact | 500 | Public Sans, 78 | −0.5% | −2.9% | −1.3% | −3% | 9 |
| Instrument Sans | Neutral, a touch warmer | 500 | Inter, 80 | −2.1% | −6.6% | −4.3% | +6.3% | 4 |
| Public Sans | Plain and even | 500 | Geist, 78 | −1.4% | −5.3% | +1.5% | +11% | 9 |
| Zalando Sans | lab score 80 to Inter | 500 | Inter, 80 | −2.6% | −5.8% | +6% | +9.3% | 8 |
| Miranda Sans | lab score 80 to Inter | 500 | Inter, 80 | −2.5% | −4.7% | +5.2% | −0.8% | 4 |
Can I use the Apple fonts for…
| Free font | Personal | Selling | Logo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geist | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Sans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Public Sans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Zalando Sans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Miranda Sans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
- Inter, Geist, Instrument Sans, Public Sans, Zalando Sans, and Miranda Sans are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.
Trademark
Free fonts, yes; the Apple name and logo, no: an app screen, a slide title or a product name for yourself is fine, merchandise needs the owner’s permission.
Apple is a trademark of its owner; these are free fonts in a similar lettering style, not the original lettering.
Apple font questions
What font does Apple use?
SF Pro (neo-grotesque sans serif, 2014) is the system font of Apple’s platforms, licensed only for making apps for them. First free pick here: Inter at weight 500 (grotesque made for screens).
Is there a free Apple font?
Not the Apple lettering itself; in its style, under open licences: Inter, Geist, Instrument Sans, Public Sans, Zalando Sans, and Miranda Sans.
Which Apple font is the boldest, and which the narrowest?
Zalando Sans has the heaviest ink of the 6 Apple picks, 11% darker than Instrument Sans; Zalando Sans is the narrowest, 2.6% narrower than Inter.
Which Apple font reads best at small sizes?
Inter, with an x-height 7% taller than Instrument Sans; most weights: Inter, 9.
How were the Apple fonts chosen?
4 of 6 chosen by eye: Inter, Geist, Instrument Sans, and Public Sans. Zalando Sans and Miranda Sans: added for Apple by our lab’s scores, 80 or more against two picks.