Typeface politics: US dumps Calibri in favour of ‘professional’ Times New Roman

The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered all official State Department documents to revert to the Times New Roman typeface, describing the move as an effort to 'restore decorum and professionalism' and to abolish what he called a 'wasteful DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) programme'.

The decision reverses a 2023 shift to Calibri, which was adopted because it is easier to read for visually impaired users and works better with screen-reading technology.

Design experts say typefaces carry cultural weight and can influence how authority and power are perceived.

The Institute of Media, Strategy and Design's Mo Jogie explains that serif fonts like Times New Roman historically project formality and hierarchy, but are often harder to read on screens.

He added that the shift may symbolically align with political messaging rather than accessibility, noting that serif fonts can be less inclusive for people relying on assistive technologies.

Jogie also highlighted the broader social and cultural implications of typefaces, arguing that even font choices reflect who it is that institutions expect, or want, to be able to read their documents.

"It's quite interesting the dynamics and the power plays that a simple thing like a typeface actually evokes.

"When we look at what the Trump administration is doing here, it's attacking the DEIA on the assumption that it enables black and brown people.

"The reality is what they're doing is they're making it more difficult for Trump to read because as people grow older, the lens in your eye becomes less elastic."

To listen to Jogie in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: