Rationale
Rationale is a sans serif font in 1 weight. Its lowercase letters are 21% narrower than the typical sans serif font. Last updated 11 September 2025.
Editing a PDF that uses Rationale
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 Rationale from the widths stored in your PDF, loads the complete open font, and sets your new text in Rationale itself. The rest of the page is carried over untouched.
Measured metrics
| Average lowercase letter width | 407.6 units per 1000 em |
|---|---|
| Average capital letter width | 447 units per 1000 em |
| Word space | 195 units per 1000 em |
| Digits | proportional (digit widths differ) |
| Spacing | proportional |
| Width of i compared with m | 30% |
| Printable ASCII characters covered | 94 of 94 |
| Category | Sans serif |
Weights and styles
Open fonts closest to Rationale
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.
- Khand Regularsimilar widths (29.5 units)
- Aubrey Regularsimilar widths (29.8 units)
- Barlow Condensed Regularloosely similar widths (34.2 units)
- Big Shoulders Regularloosely similar widths (34.4 units)
- Big Shoulders Stencil Regularloosely similar widths (34.4 units)
- Saira Condensed Regularloosely similar widths (35.1 units)
- Rum Raisin Regularloosely similar widths (35.3 units)
- Big Shoulders Inline Regularloosely similar widths (35.6 units)
Compare Rationale
Questions people ask
+Can I edit a PDF that uses Rationale?
Yes. Drop the PDF into MythosPDF and click the text. New letters are set in Rationale itself, loaded from the open font, so the edit matches the rest of the page.
+Is Rationale free to use?
Rationale 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 Rationale?
By measured letter widths, Khand is the closest match among open fonts (a mean difference of 29.5 units per 1000 em). Text set in one takes almost the same space in the other.
+Which languages does Rationale support?
It includes these character sets: Latin.
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