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The Android Font: Roboto

developer.android.com

1–10 of 35 posts

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#2
It's worth noticing that this font is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0.

So it's ok to use it in personal or commercial projects (by including a copy of the license an propper attribution).

The font can be found in the folder data/fonts on the Android SDK 4.0 / r14, and also the Readme file that states the license.

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#3
post #2

It's worth noticing that this font is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. So it's ok to use it in personal or commercial projects (by including a copy of the license an propper attribution). The font can be found in the folder data/fonts on the Android SDK 4.0 / r14, and also the Readme file that states the license.

You can also download it from the link.

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#5
post #2

It's worth noticing that this font is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. So it's ok to use it in personal or commercial projects (by including a copy of the license an propper attribution). The font can be found in the folder data/fonts on the Android SDK 4.0 / r14, and also the Readme file that states the license.

I don't understand why they haven't added it to the Google Web Fonts directory yet.

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#6
post #2

It's worth noticing that this font is licensed under the Apache License Version 2.0. So it's ok to use it in personal or commercial projects (by including a copy of the license an propper attribution). The font can be found in the folder data/fonts on the Android SDK 4.0 / r14, and also the Readme file that states the license.

I don't understand why they haven't added it to the Google Web Fonts directory yet.

Probably because they don't really want people to use it. I imagine the license has to be fairly open to allow for unencumbered distribution with android, but it's a part of the android brand. Every time it gets used outside of android makes it a little more generic and dilutes the android brand a little bit.

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#8
post #7

I'm not a Roboto fan. I think Gruber sums it up the best: http://daringfireball.net/2011/10/font_hipsters

I have no idea how much you know about type design, but I get the sense that the vast majority of people disparaging Roboto don't actually know shit about typography, and are just parroting what's been said by a handful of bloggers (many of whom also aren't particularly well versed). If a lot of these guys were asked to rate a bunch of unnamed fonts without the benefit of the internet to tell them what they think about them, they would probably make some terrible font snob faux pas.

I'm not an expert of typography, but to my eyes, it's a nice, clean, readable screen font. So is the Droid font family. It's not my absolute favourite, but there are more pressing issues in the world.

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#9
post #7

I'm not a Roboto fan. I think Gruber sums it up the best: http://daringfireball.net/2011/10/font_hipsters

Gruber's post contains nothing substantive except for "The criticism is simply that Roboto is ungainly, homely, unharmonious."

The remainder of the post is a diatribe that only succeeds in saying "nobody else likes it either."

Re: The Android Font: Roboto

#10
post #7

I'm not a Roboto fan. I think Gruber sums it up the best: http://daringfireball.net/2011/10/font_hipsters

I have no idea how much you know about type design, but I get the sense that the vast majority of people disparaging Roboto don't actually know shit about typography, and are just parroting what's been said by a handful of bloggers (many of whom also aren't particularly well versed). If a lot of these guys were asked to rate a bunch of unnamed fonts without the benefit of the internet to tell them what they think abo…

John Gruber is extremely well versed in typography. He talks at great length about typefaces in his podcast and has worked for Bare Bones Software on BBEdit, a well known text editor. I would tend to trust his judgements on this matter.
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