TikTok has made a significant change to its aesthetic by launching a new custom font, it named TikTok Sans. The move is designed to reflect the diverse community of creators on the platform and to enhance creative self-expression.
“We’re delighted to introduce TikTok Sans, our new bespoke typeface,” the ByteDance-owned platform announced in a blog post. The platform aims for the new typeface to embody the personality of TikTok, embracing its roots in entertainment, inclusivity, and self-expression.
The new bespoke typeface was created in collaboration with Grilli Type, a well-known international type foundry. The font is designed for optimal “legibility and reading retention” and will support a wide array of languages from the get-go.
Prior to this change, TikTok employed the Proxima Nova typeface. However, TikTok Sans boasts of “bigger openings and clearer strokes,” which allow the letters to be easily distinguished from one another. The shapes have been simplified for better recognisability and reliability across languages.
In addition to its fresh look, the new font has also been created with a slightly larger size and increased line height, enhancing readability. The company is initially rolling out the new font in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Turkish, and Vietnamese, with plans to expand its language support in the future.
The new font also incorporates anti-spoofing features for added security, such as a zero with a line through it. The move mirrors similar recent changes in Twitter’s revised font.
With this launch, TikTok is joining a growing list of tech companies designing their own fonts. The list includes renowned names like Apple with its San Francisco font and Microsoft with its five new sans-serif fonts that come with a variety of formats.
TikTok expressed its hope that its new font will serve to “complement the personality of our platform – from our roots in entertainment to inclusivity and self-expression.” The company is gradually rolling out the new typeface globally, so users may already be experiencing the fresh aesthetic.
