Font Bureau
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital type foundry |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Roger Black, David Berlow |
| Headquarters | Boston , United States |
Area served | Magazine and newspaper publishers |
Key people | Roger Black, David Berlow, Tobias Frere-Jones, Cyrus Highsmith, Matthew Carter |
| Products | Typefaces, custom type design services |
Font Bureau, Inc.—commonly known as Font Bureau—was a digital type foundry headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with a focus on creating typefaces tailored for magazine and newspaper publishers.
History
Established in 1989 by Roger Black and David Berlow, Font Bureau rapidly gained recognition as a premier typeface design firm. Black brought extensive experience as a publication designer and consultant, while Berlow was a distinguished type designer. The foundry's clientele featured prominent names such as The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Esquire Magazine, Rolling Stone, and the Wall Street Journal. Notable designers associated with Font Bureau include Tobias Frere-Jones, who later founded Frere-Jones Type, and Cyrus Highsmith, known for his work with Occupant Fonts and Morisawa. Additionally, Matthew Carter maintained frequent collaborations with the foundry.
In 2009, Font Bureau initiated legal action against NBC Universal, seeking damages exceeding $2 million for the alleged unauthorized use of their fonts Antenna, Bureau Grotesque, and Interstate within promotional content.
Following the introduction of TypeNetwork in 2016, Font Bureau redirected its efforts toward type design and bespoke services, transferring font licensing, development, and retail functions to TypeNetwork. On July 6, 2016, the foundry restricted sales of its retail typefaces exclusively to TypeNetwork, withdrawing from distribution platforms such as Fonts.com, MyFonts, and FontShop. Later, on June 15, 2020, Font Bureau removed its fonts from the Adobe Fonts collection.
On May 4, 2023, Monotype Corporation acquired a selection of 39 typefaces from Font Bureau’s catalog, including Agency FB and Benton Sans. Nevertheless, due to outstanding royalty payments, TypeNetwork discontinued offering Font Bureau’s fonts as of July 1, 2024.
Font Bureau also played a role in advancing typographic technology with a focus on OpenType Variable fonts exemplified by designs like Roboto Flex and Amstelvar.
Typefaces
Typefaces produced by Font Bureau include: