Basic
Basic is a sans serif font in 1 weight. Its lowercase letters are 8% narrower than the typical sans serif font. Last updated 10 September 2025.
Editing a PDF that uses Basic
Most PDFs embed only the letters they already use. Type a new letter and many editors either refuse or swap in a different font. MythosPDF recognises Basic from the widths stored in your PDF, loads the complete open font, and sets your new text in Basic itself. The rest of the page is carried over untouched.
Measured metrics
| Average lowercase letter width | 479 units per 1000 em |
|---|---|
| Average capital letter width | 551.9 units per 1000 em |
| Word space | 279.8 units per 1000 em |
| Digits | proportional (digit widths differ) |
| Spacing | proportional |
| Width of i compared with m | 31% |
| Printable ASCII characters covered | 94 of 94 |
| Category | Sans serif |
Weights and styles
Languages beyond basic Latin
Open fonts closest to Basic
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.
- Murecho Regularloosely similar widths (30.9 units)
- Anek Tamil Regularloosely similar widths (33.3 units)
- Anek Gurmukhi Regularloosely similar widths (33.3 units)
- Sofia Sans Semi Condensed Regularloosely similar widths (33.5 units)
- Anek Kannada Regularloosely similar widths (33.6 units)
- Anek Malayalam Regularloosely similar widths (33.6 units)
- Anek Telugu Regularloosely similar widths (33.7 units)
- Anek Devanagari Regularloosely similar widths (33.9 units)
Compare Basic
Questions people ask
+Can I edit a PDF that uses Basic?
Yes. Drop the PDF into MythosPDF and click the text. New letters are set in Basic itself, loaded from the open font, so the edit matches the rest of the page.
+Is Basic free to use?
Basic is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, an open licence that allows free use in documents, including commercial ones. Check the licence text for your exact use.
+Which font is closest to Basic?
By measured letter widths, Murecho is the closest match among open fonts (a mean difference of 30.9 units per 1000 em). Text set in one takes almost the same space in the other.
+Which languages does Basic support?
It includes these character sets: Latin, Central European.
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