Typography
Our bespoke brand typefaces, INTL Headline and Text, are modern sans-serif fonts inspired by American type traditions and deeply rooted in our company’s history.
These authentic typefaces play a leading role in our visual identity. By applying them consistently, we achieve not only functionality and legibility but also a unique expression that captures and conveys the essence of the road.
THE FAMILY
The INTL type family consists of two distinct subfamilies — INTL Headline and INTL Text. These subfamilies are designed for expressive and functional purposes, respectively, and can be used together.
INTL Headline
INTL Headline is intended for headlines and serves as the brand’s expressive and unique voice. It is an uppercase-only typeface with a slightly extended letter width, primarily intended for larger text such as headlines and subheadings. It should never be used for long lines of body copy.
INTL Text
INTL Text is the functional style of the INTL type family, designed to be the legible counterpart to INTL Headline. It has a slightly condensed letter width and is mainly intended for smaller text, such as body copy and detailed typography, but can also be used for headlines if needed.
COMMON SIZES
We use font sizes that are multiples of 4, such as 12, 16, 24, 36 and 48. This provides a standard selection of sizes while allowing flexibility for specific needs. Line spacing should be a multiple of 2, adjusted to the text size.
For smaller text like body copy and captions, we can deviate from the multiples of 4 rule to ensure readability in materials like brochures and product sheets. For example, body copy can be 9/12 pt while captions use 7/9 pt.
Limit the number of type sizes in an application and avoid using sizes that are too similar. This ensures contrast and clarity, and establishes a clear hierarchy in the design.
Expressive 120 pt >
Headline & large titling 48–96 pt
Small headlines 20–36 pt
Preamble/quotes/ subheaders 9–16 pt
Body copy 9 pt
Captions 7 pt
TYPE & LINE SPACING
For body copy, we use standard settings for line and character spacing, known as leading and tracking in print, and line height and letter spacing in digital. As the type size increases, we reduce the spacing between lines and characters to compensate for the larger text.
INTL Headline 72/68 Optical kerning Tracking -20 Letter spacing -2%
INTL Headline 48/48 Optical kerning Tracking -10 Letter spacing -2%
INTL Headline 28/30 Optical kerning Tracking 0 Letter spacing 0%
INTL Text 16/18 Optical kerning Tracking 0 Letter spacing 0%
INTL Text 9/12 Optical kerning Tracking 0 Letter spacing 0%
INTL Text 7/9 Optical kerning Tracking 0 Letter spacing 0%
SELECTING WEIGHTS
INTL Headline
The four weights of the INTL Headline are used differently depending on size and intended role within the hierarchy. Simply put it is about using a lighter weight for the larger font sizes. The Light and Regular weights achieve a modern expression for larger text, while the Medium and Bold weights work well to highlight smaller sized text, such as subheadings.
INTL Headline 96 pt
INTL Headline 48 pt
INTL Headline 12 pt
INTL Text
The different weights of INTL Text are used in a similar way to INTL Headline.
INTL Text 36 pt
INTL Text 16 pt
INTL Text 9 pt
PAIRING WEIGHTS
INTL Headline
Hierarchy can be established not only through size but also by pairing different weights. This approach allows us to emphasize one line of text over another, creating a dynamic expression. When pairing weights, we can apply the thicker weight to either the top or bottom row to emphasize what is most important.
Please note that we avoid combining Medium/Regular or Bold/Light.
Regular/Light
Medium/Light
Bold/Regular
Light/Regular
Light/Medium
Regular/Bold
INTL Text
Much like the headline font, different weights of INTL Text can create a hierarchy. Given the smaller sizes, we must ensure each weight provides sufficient contrast. Therefore, we only use the following combinations: Medium/Light or Bold/Regular.
Medium/Light
Bold/Regular
Single line pairings
In single lines of text, such as headlines or titles, you can pair INTL Headline and INTL Text together.
These lines can use either font, depending on the context. However, when combining the fonts, INTL Text should never be set in uppercase to ensure visual differentiation.
TOP ALIGNMENT
When aligning body copy with a headline, ensure that the top of the body copy aligns with the cap height of the headline.
ASTERISK
In special use cases, such as working with very large headlines, consider scaling down asterisks if they appear too dominant. Reducing the asterisk to 50% of the font size can create better balance and emphasis in the headline.
The scaled asterisk (at 50% of its original size) should maintain clearspace equal to 50% of its width with the nearest adjacent letter on the left side.
Asterisk size: 100%
Asterisk size: 50% (special use case)
Balanced asterisk clearspace
USAGE
INTL Headline
INTL Headline Light is perfect for large headlines, balancing well with heavier weights in smaller sizes. The Regular weight suits small to medium headlines and header titles. Use Medium for added emphasis and contrast, such as in subheaders.
The Bold weight is reserved for rare occasions, when there’s a need for even more contrast, primarily in small sizes.
Expressive headline INTL Text Light 72/66 pt
Subheader INTL Headline Medium 32/32 pt
Folio INTL Headline Regular 7/9 pt
INTL Text
INTL Text Light is ideal for larger text sizes, such as preambles. Regular is best for smaller point sizes, like body text. Medium is used on rare occasions when Regular lacks sufficient contrast; it also pairs well with Light.
Bold is effective for small subheadings, highlighting text within a block, such as quotes, and small captions.
Preamble INTL Text Light 16/18 pt
Caption INTL Text Regular 7/9 pt
Quote INTL Text Bold 9/12 pt
Body copy INTL Text Regular 9/12 pt
FALLBACK SYSTEM FONT
The INTL type family is one of our strongest brand carriers and should be used whenever possible. However, when there is the need for a system font that requires no special license and is available on all computers, our fallback choice is Arial.
The general typographic treatments are the same for Arial as they are for INTL Headline and INTL Text. As Arial only has two weights, compared to four in the INTL type family, we replace Light with Regular and Medium with Bold.
Usage
Our fallback system font Arial is used in instances where we for technical reasons cannot use our INTL type family, such as in email signatures and PowerPoint presentations that should be shared outside the organization.
Typographical treatment
Inspired by the Language of the Road, our typographic treatment creates a consistent and ownable brand expression for International across any application or touchpoint.
The typographic treatment aims to visually reflect the roads we travel and nod to the road running through the center space of our symbol.
Leading the eye
To successfully reflect the road, our messaging needs to be arranged linearly. We want to lead the eye across the application, forming a visual line with both long and short headlines or text.
Linear arrangement of text, leading the eye forward.
Split headlines/text
While the linear typographic treatment is naturally achieved with longer headlines, it can also be accomplished with shorter headlines or text by utilizing a split headline/text approach.
By placing the split text in a separate grid column or aligning it to the right-hand side, we establish hierarchy, lead the eye, and form a distinctive line, even with shorter headlines or text.
Headline
Alignment
To achieve a linear typographic treatment, it is crucial to maintain consistent alignment of text and other elements, such as the logotype. The uniform approach helps to create a cohesive and visually appealing layout. Alignment is key to achieving our typographic treatment.
Direction and placement
The primary direction allows the text to run horizontally across the application.
The secondary direction is for specific use cases and runs vertically across the application, typically used for folios and supportive text. However, the secondary direction can be used for headlines — use practical judgment to avoid making the text too dominant or illegible.
Primary direction and placement
Secondary direction and placement (specific use cases)
LOGOTYPE AND TEXT
When combining our logotype lockup with text, always align the headline with the baseline and cap height of the wordmark. For headlines with the symbol alone, keep the same size ratio, with the symbol slightly larger for optical balance.
An exception applies to supportive text or small captions: make sure they are noticeably smaller than the symbol to establish hierarchy. Always align this text to the middle of the symbol.
Lockup + Sub headline
Symbol + Sub headline
Body copy examples
Scalability
The typographic treatment seamlessly transitions from refined to bold. Its applications can vary from a subtle page folio on a letterhead to a bold and impactful heading spanning across the application. This flexibility ensures each design feels unique, avoiding repetition while making a lasting impact.
Refined
Impactful
Usage Inspiration
Below are indicative visual examples of how to use the typography. These examples should be used as inspiration, informing both employees and partner agencies how to use the brand identity. While these images show best practice, they may not accurately represent how specific applications look in reality.
