Live preview: Arial font
Preview shown in Arimo, a free open-source font similar to Arial (SIL Open Font License). Arial itself is not included here.
Arimo: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
The Arial font is the plain, clear sans serif you have seen in school notices, office letters, forms and exam papers. It is on almost every Windows computer, so a file typed in Arial looks the same on nearly any PC. That is a big reason it became so common.
The preview above uses Arimo, a free font with the exact same letter widths, and it is labelled. Below you will find Arial's history, how it compares with Helvetica, its main styles and the legal way to get it.
Is Arial a Font? Arial Font History in Short
Yes, Arial is a font, or more exactly a typeface family. It was designed in 1982 by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders for Monotype. It was made with the same character widths as Helvetica. So if a document was set in Helvetica, you could swap in Arial and every line would break in the same place.
Microsoft then bundled Arial with Windows and Office. Because nearly every PC had it, Arial became a safe choice for documents, emails and the early web, along with fonts like Georgia and Verdana.
Arial vs Helvetica: How to Spot the Difference
Arial and Helvetica look almost the same at a glance. Look closer and you will see small changes:
| Letter or detail | Arial | Helvetica |
|---|---|---|
| Ends of c, e, s | Cut at an angle | Cut flat and horizontal |
| Capital R | Straight, slanted leg | Curved leg |
| Capital G | No spur at the bottom right | Has a small spur |
| Lowercase t | Top cut at an angle | Top cut flat |
Arial feels a little softer and rounder. Helvetica feels tighter and more formal. Read more on our Helvetica font page.
Arial Font Style Family: Narrow, Black, Bold and Rounded
- Arial regular and Arial bold font: the everyday pair for documents.
- Arial Narrow font: slimmer letters that fit more words in a line, useful for tables and forms.
- Arial Black font: very heavy, for posters and short headlines only.
- Arial rounded font (Arial Rounded MT Bold): soft rounded ends, often used for kids' material and friendly signs.
- Arial Unicode MS font: a large version with many world scripts, including Devanagari. It came with some older versions of Microsoft Office and is not part of newer installs.
"Arial MT" is simply a name some systems use for the same Monotype Arial.
Arial Font Weights and Fonts Like Arial
Arial does not have many weights. The main Arial font weights on Windows are regular, bold and black, each with an italic. Arial Narrow adds a slimmer width in regular and bold. If you need thin or light weights, Arial is not the right pick.
Good fonts like Arial, when you want more weights or a free licence:
- Arimo: free, same widths as Arial, the closest swap.
- Liberation Sans: free and metric-compatible, common on Linux.
- Helvetica: the classic Arial was built to match.
- Roboto: free on Google Fonts, many weights from thin to black. See our Roboto font page.
- Open Sans: free, friendly and very readable on screens.
- Inter: free, made for screens and apps; see the Inter font guide.
For a full list of fonts similar to Arial and other safe choices, browse our popular fonts hub.
Arial Font Download: Legal Way and Free Alternative
Arial is licensed by Monotype. It is included with Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and Macs, so you are allowed to use it on those devices. But it is not freely redistributable, so sites offering an "arial bold font free download", "arial narrow font free download" or "arial unicode ms font download" are usually sharing copies without permission.
Many people search "download font Arial" or "font download Arial" when the font is already on their PC. Check first:
- Windows: Arial, Arial Bold and Arial Black are already installed. Look in the font menu of Word before you download anything.
- Office: Arial Narrow and Arial Rounded MT Bold come with Office on many installs, so you rarely need a separate Arial Narrow font download.
- Mac: Arial comes with macOS. Macs also include a separate Arial Hebrew font for Hebrew text.
- Phone or Linux: use Arimo, a free font with the same widths. Get it from the Arimo page on Google Fonts. Liberation Sans is a matching free font found on many Linux systems.
- Brand or app use: buy a licence from Monotype.
For Hindi typing, Arial is not the best choice. Use a Unicode Devanagari font such as Mangal or Nirmala UI; see our Mangal font guide.
Where to Use Arial 12 Font Size
Arial at 12 pt is a common setting for school assignments, office letters, government forms and job applications. It is easy to read in print and on screen. Many colleges and exam bodies give their own rules, so always check them first. Some ask for Times New Roman instead; compare on our Times New Roman font page.
For a resume, Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman are all safe in 2026 because every computer opens them correctly. Use Arial at 10 to 12 pt for body text and bold for headings. Also see our Calibri font guide.
On a website, write font-family: Arial, Arimo, Helvetica, sans-serif; so every visitor gets a matching font.
Common questions
Is Arial a sans serif font?
Yes. Arial has no serifs, the small strokes at the ends of letters. Is Arial a serif font? No, that is a common mix-up. Times New Roman is the well-known serif font.
Why is Arial the default font in so many places?
Arial comes with Windows and Office, so almost every computer already has it. A file typed in Arial looks the same wherever it opens, which makes it a safe default for forms and documents.
What does Arial font look like?
It is plain and even, with no decorations and medium-wide letters. The ends of letters like c and s are cut at an angle. The preview above shows Arimo, which has the same shapes and spacing.
Is Arial free to use?
You can use it freely on Windows, Office and Mac, where it is licensed for you. You cannot share or resell the font files. If you need a free font you can share, use Arimo.
Is there an Arial font generator for Instagram?
Instagram does not let you choose installed fonts. You can paste Unicode sans serif letters from our font generator or bold font page, which look similar to Arial bold.
Can I get Arial Unicode MS for Hindi?
It was bundled with older Office versions and is now sold by Monotype. For Hindi, free and built-in Unicode fonts like Mangal or Nirmala UI on Windows, or Noto Sans Devanagari on Google Fonts, are better choices.