# How to write the typography section of brand guidelines > Which fonts, weights and sizes to use, where to get the files or licenses, and what to use when the brand font is not there, with published examples. The typography section must work in places where the brand font is not available. Examples are an email, a slide deck on another laptop, and a document that an AI agent writes. So the section needs the font files or the license route, the sizes as numbers, and a fallback font for every other place. ## What the typography section needs - The font names and the weights for headlines, body text, and small print. - Where to get the font files, and if people need a license. - Sizes and line spacing for the main uses, as numbers. - A fallback font for email, office documents, and every place where the brand font is not installed. - Why the brand uses these fonts, if that helps people choose between them. ## How published guides write it ### NHS > The core NHS font is Frutiger and the secondary font is Arial. These fonts should be used for all NHS communications. No other fonts should be used, even if your NHS communications are aimed at a specific target audience (e.g. children). Has: exact value, where it applies. Names both fonts and closes the special-audience exception before anyone asks for it. Source: [NHS Identity Guidelines, “Fonts”](https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhsidentity/identity-guidelines/fonts/), checked 2026-11-11. ### IBM > However, the fonts in these libraries may not have the latest versions, so we always recommend going to the IBM Plex GitHub repo. Has: real file, reason. Names the source for current font files and why the other copies can lag. Source: [IBM Design Language, “Where else to get Plex®”](https://www.ibm.com/design/language/typography/typeface/), checked 2026-11-11. ### IBM > Write content in sentence case. Title case can be used in proper titles, product names and service names. Avoid the use of all uppercase or “all caps” in your typography, especially for paragraphs or text. Has: exact value, where it applies. A default, the named exceptions and what to avoid, in three sentences. Source: [IBM Design Language, “Case”](https://www.ibm.com/design/language/typography/type-basics/), checked 2026-11-11. ### Mozilla > Line spacing: XL headlines and headlines (90%), subheads (110%), body (125%), small body (140%) Has: exact value. Line spacing as a percentage for each level of text. Source: [Mozilla Brand Guidelines, “Spacing and alignment”](https://brand.mozilla.com/document/231#/-/typography-1), checked 2026-11-11. ### Dropbox > With Sharp Grotesk Variable, we have more control over the look of the type, and can adjust the weight of our type to align better optically on light vs dark backgrounds. Has: exact value, reason. Names the typeface and why its weight varies. No sizes, weights or font file are given. Source: [Dropbox Brand Guidelines, “And DB Sharp Grotesk was created”](https://brand.dropbox.com/typography), checked 2026-11-11. ### GitHub > Our typographic approach centers around Mona Sans, an open source super family with an optical size, 5 widths, italics, and a mono companion. Mona Sans is always improving and expanding, so make sure you’re always using the latest version. Has: exact value, real file. Names the typeface, and the page's download buttons link to its open source repository. Source: [GitHub Brand Toolkit, “Mona Sans”](https://brand.github.com/foundations/typography), checked 2026-11-11. ### GitHub > Don’t use the other width styles available in Mona Sans. These are reserved for special events like Universe. Has: where it applies, reason. Says which styles of the font are off limits and what they are kept for. Source: [GitHub Brand Toolkit, “Usage”](https://brand.github.com/foundations/typography), checked 2026-11-11. ## Wording to copy Copy this text into your guide. The example is for Larch Coffee, a made-up coffee roaster. Replace the highlighted parts with the facts for your brand. ```text Typography Headlines: [Fraunces Semibold], [40 px] on screen. Body: [Inter Regular], [17 px], line height [1.5]. Small print: [Inter Regular], [13 px]. Files: [example.com/brand/fonts.zip]. Both fonts are [free under the SIL Open Font License]. Where these fonts are not available (email, office documents): use [Georgia] for headlines and [Arial] for body text. ``` ## Common gaps - The guide names the font, but not where to get it. So people use a similar font. - There is no fallback font, so every email and slide deck uses a different font. - A picture shows the sizes, but the text gives no numbers. --- Source: https://aibrandguidelines.org/parts/typography Last updated: 2026-11-11 Published by Annotated Guidelines. Annotated Guidelines is run by the team at Rainbrand.