Digital Font, Merriweather, 2009–2010

Merriweather, designed by type designer Eben Sorkin, is an early web font initially released in 2010 on Google Fonts under an Open Font License (OFL). It is exemplary of a classic approach to UI design in a serif typeface, created at a time when digital fonts began to be optimized for the web. Sorkin was drawn to early type found in incunabula, which were among the earliest examples of printed text from the fifteenth century. He sought to integrate Renaissance features into a screen-first design that followed in the footsteps of Matthew Carter, with open forms to increase legibility.


Designing in the pre-retina era of the late aughts and early teens, Sorkin carried the Renaissance expressions over to low-resolution screens to create a workforce text typeface. Merriweather’s Dutch proportions and large x height lend it clarity and a contemporary feel, while the Renaissance gestures and sturdy serif give it a trustability and groundedness. It has been used in millions of websites and often by government entities, notably as the font for the German supreme court, for a women’s rights campaign in Ireland, for CDC campaigns in the United States, and as the U.S. government font during the Trump White House.

Digital Font, Merriweather, 2009–2010; Designed by Eben Sorkin ((American, b. 1967)); Foundry: Sorkin Type Co.; digital font; Collected from the public domain by Cooper Hewitt in collaboration with the designer; 2024-20-1-1/8