Tungsten Font

Tungsten is a bold sans serif font designed by Frere Jones and Jonathan Hoefler distinguished by its tight spacing and flat edges. This style is frequently referred to as ‘gaspipe lettering’ because of its tight spacing and flat edges. Tungstens debut was made in 2004 in Bravo TV and was expanded into a family of 32 styles by 2012 providing designers greater choice and versatility.

From the beginning, Tungsten was created to debunk the stereotype that strong fonts are unfriendly and unwieldy. Although they may come across as unduly stiff or archaic, many typefaces in this category try to resemble posters from the early 1900s, such as those used during the Soviet Constructivism or the WPA era in the United States. Others try too hard to follow strict design rules, yet they struggle when faced with more challenging letters, like S or Y, which don’t always fit the grid.

The goal was different with Tungsten. The designers wanted to build something subtle yet strong rather than employing overwhelming force. “Whiskey highball, not martini,” they wrote in their design notes, and they liked it to “Steve McQueen, not Steven Seagal.” To put it another way, it was meant to appear sleek and effortless rather than garish or over the top.

They developed rules regarding how each component of the letter should relate to the others, such as how an uppercase letter fits with a lowercase one or how letters join side by side, rather than relying on simple shapes like squares and circles. They were able to create a font with individuality that is both sleek and contemporary because to this consistent structure.

Tungsten is mostly used in magazines, branding, and bold posters. With its bold and tight design, It is also used in titles and headers.

Tungsten Font Family

• Tungsten Regular
• Tungsten Compressed
• Tungsten Narrow
• Tungsten Condensed