# Abel font

> A narrow, flat-sided sans serif in one light weight, modelled on condensed newspaper and poster headline faces.

Abel is a condensed sans serif typeface credited to MADType, with flat-sided round letters and strokes of even thickness. Abel comes in one style, Regular 400, with 251 glyphs covering basic Latin, and it is not a variable font. Abel is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and suits headlines, navigation and short text.

## Facts

- Classification: [Sans Serif](https://trendhub.net/fonts/category/sans-serif)
- Designed by: MADType
- License: SIL Open Font License 1.1 (https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/)
- Styles: 1 (Regular 400)
- Variable font: No
- Glyphs: 251
- Character sets: latin
- Last updated: 2025-05-30
- Official source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Abel
- Page: https://trendhub.net/fonts/abel
- Tagged for: Headlines, Minimalist, Condensed

## About Abel

Abel is a condensed sans serif in which the round letters have straight vertical sides, so o, c and e read as tall rounded rectangles. Strokes stay at one thickness throughout and are light for a headline face. The official description places the design in the tradition of flat-sided condensed faces first used in newspaper headlines and on posters, and credits the even stroke weight for keeping it usable at smaller text sizes on the web. Abel has a single style, Regular 400, with no bold or italic. The font holds 251 glyphs in the Latin subset, enough for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and the Nordic languages. MADType is credited as the designer, and the copyright notice names Matthew Desmond. Abel was added to Google Fonts in 2011 under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

## License

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Copyright (c) 2011, Matthew Desmond (http://www.madtype.com | mattdesmond@gmail.com),with Reserved Font Name Abel.

Allowed:
- Use the fonts in personal and commercial work, in print, on the web and in apps.
- Modify the fonts and build new versions from them.
- Redistribute the fonts, on their own or bundled with software, as long as the license text and copyright notice go with them.

Conditions:
- The fonts cannot be sold by themselves.
- A modified version must stay under the same license and cannot use a Reserved Font Name without the copyright holder's permission.
- The authors' names cannot be used to promote a modified version without permission.

Summary only, not legal advice. Full text: https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/

## Where it works

- **Headlines in narrow columns**: Flat-sided, condensed letters fit more characters per line, which helps long titles stay on one row in sidebars and cards.
- **Navigation bars and menus**: The single light weight gives menu items a quiet, even texture when several labels sit side by side.
- **Posters with a lot of copy**: The style comes from condensed poster and newspaper type, so stacked lines of Abel pack tightly at large sizes.
- **Captions and short notes**: Monoline strokes hold up at small sizes, although the Latin-only set limits this to Western European languages.

## Things to know

- **A single style**: Abel is Regular 400 only. There is no bold or italic, and software will synthesise them if asked.
- **Latin subset only**: The 251 glyphs do not include the letters for Turkish, Polish, Czech or Vietnamese, and there is no Cyrillic or Greek.
- **Reserved font name**: The copyright notice reserves the name Abel, so a modified version must be renamed unless permission is given.

## FAQs

### Is Abel free for commercial use?

Yes, under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. Abel may be used in personal and commercial projects, modified and redistributed, but the font files cannot be sold on their own and a modified version must keep the same license.

### Who designed Abel?

Abel is credited to MADType, and the copyright notice names Matthew Desmond.

### Does Abel have bold or italic styles?

No. Abel has one weight, Regular 400, and no italic.

### Is Abel good for body text?

Abel was drawn in a headline tradition, and its official description says the even stroke weight also works at smaller text sizes on the web. With one weight and no italic, Abel leaves no way to mark emphasis in long text.

### Which languages does Abel support?

Abel includes the letters needed for English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Catalan, Estonian and the Nordic languages. Turkish, Polish and Czech are not covered.

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Source: https://trendhub.net/fonts/abel (trendhub)