Free alternatives to Futura
Futura is not an open font. These open fonts come closest by measured letter widths, the property that decides whether text keeps its line breaks when the font is swapped.
Closest open fonts to Futura
Measured on every printable character both fonts contain. A smaller difference means the same words take the same space, so lines break in the same places.
- Jost SemiBoldloosely similar widths (36.7 units)
- Jost Mediumloosely similar widths (37.9 units)
- Nanum Gothic Regularloosely similar widths (41.6 units)
- Jost Boldloosely similar widths (42.9 units)
- Kufam Regularloosely similar widths (43.1 units)
- Nanum Gothic ExtraBoldloosely similar widths (43.8 units)
- Nanum Gothic Boldloosely similar widths (43.9 units)
- Kufam Mediumloosely similar widths (45.4 units)
- SUSE Boldloosely similar widths (45.9 units)
- Geom Regularloosely similar widths (46.1 units)
Futura measured
| Average lowercase letter width | 506.8 units per 1000 em |
|---|---|
| Average capital letter width | 666.8 units per 1000 em |
| Word space | 308.6 units per 1000 em |
| Digits | tabular (every digit is 617.2 units wide, so columns of numbers line up) |
| Spacing | proportional |
| Width of i compared with m | 32% |
| Printable ASCII characters covered | 94 of 94 |
Editing a PDF that uses Futura
Most PDFs embed only the letters they already use. Type a new letter and many editors either refuse or swap in a different font. Futura is not freely available, so MythosPDF first uses every letter already embedded in your PDF. If a new letter is missing, it asks before using the closest open font listed here, and tells you which one it used.
Questions people ask
+What is the best free alternative to Futura?
By measured letter widths, Jost SemiBold: loosely similar widths (36.7 units per 1000 em).
+Can I edit a PDF that uses Futura without having it installed?
Yes. MythosPDF first uses the letters already embedded in the PDF. For a missing letter it asks before using the closest open font.
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