San Francisco (sans-serif typeface)
San Francisco (also known as SF Pro) is a neo-grotesque typeface made by Apple Inc. It was first released to developers on November 18, 2014.[1][2] It is the first new typeface designed at Apple in nearly twenty years and has been inspired by Helvetica and DIN.[1]
For the "ransom note" typeface, see San Francisco (decorative typeface).Category
Neo-grotesque
November 18, 2014
Proprietary
SF Pro
SF Condensed
SF Compressed
SF Expanded
SF Compact
SF Mono
SF Camera
SF
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The macOS Catalina font Galvji is similar to the San Francisco variant SF Pro Text but has lower leading and bigger spacing.
Apple introduced the OpenType Font Variations feature of their SF fonts in WWDC20.[12] It is included as a TrueType Font in the installer file on the Developer website. On WWDC22, variable width option is introduced to the font family.
SF Symbols[edit]
SF Symbols refers to symbols and icons used in the Apple operating systems. To fit Apple's objectives of core functionality and ease of use, these symbols are designed using Apple's visual language and unified design elements. They also include the squircle instead of standard rounded corners for a more comfortable look, similar to what Apple has used in their other designs. By using unified symbols, users can experience the easiness and intuitiveness when interacting between Apple's devices, services, and apps.
Apple's symbols are included as glyphs in the font file of SF Pro, SF Pro Rounded, SF Compact, and SF Compact Rounded (also in their variable font file). Each symbol is available in 3 sizes. These symbols change their thickness and negative space according to chosen weight, they even utilized with the Opentype Variation feature. Using the SF Symbols app can access more features such as refined alignment, multicolor, and localization of symbols.[13] The symbol properties are not unified across variants. Different Unicode arrangement for some symbols result in different symbols when switching between variants, and some symbols have noticeably fewer details in some variants.version 16.0d18e1
These symbols are available for developers to use in their apps on Apple platforms only. Developers are allowed to customize it to desired styles and colors, but certain symbols may not be modified and may only be used to refer to its respective Apple services or devices as listed in the license description.
Usage[edit]
Since its introduction, San Francisco has gradually replaced most of Apple's other typefaces on their software and hardware products and for overall branding[14] and has replaced Lucida Grande and Helvetica Neue as the system typeface of macOS and iOS since OS X El Capitan and iOS 9.[15][11][16] Apple uses it on its website and for its product wordmarks, where it replaced Myriad Pro. It is also used on Magic Keyboard and on the keyboard of the 2015 MacBook and on the 2016 MacBook Pro, replacing VAG Rounded.[17] It is also used as Apple's corporate typeface.[18]
Apple restricts the usage of the typeface by others. It is licensed to registered third-party developers only for the design and development of applications for Apple's platforms.[11] Only SF Pro, SF Compact, SF Mono, SF Arabic, SF Hebrew and New York variants are available for download on Developer website and they are the only SF variants allowed to be used by developers.
The San Francisco Chronicle described the font as having nothing to do with the city and just being "Helvetica on a low-carb diet".[19]