Industry: Design

Routine

30 styles rooted in 19th-century French newspaper typography

Routine is a friendly sans-serif designed by Fred Wiltshire, released in 2023, drawing on the range of sans styles found in late 19th-century French newspapers. The family spans 30 styles across weight, width, and slant, with support for Extended Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek, plus stylistic sets and a small set of illustrations. Proportions are restrained enough for small-size legibility while retaining enough personality to hold attention at display sizes.

Set in Routine

Insights

Historical source material is specifically late 19th-century French newspaper sans-serifs, a narrower reference point than general grotesque revivals.
The 30-style range covers three axes—weight, width, and slant—suggesting a structured design space rather than ad-hoc style additions.
Conservative weight and width decisions are described as a deliberate approach to preserving small-size legibility.