Why Cooper Black Is Probably The Most Popular Font Of All Time

There are just some things you go to because they’re tried and tested. Everybody at some point has used them, and you know you can always count on it on get the job done. In a lot of cases, that’s exactly what Cooper Black font is. This trustworthy typeface has been around since the golden age of advertising, but does not seem to see its twilight years just yet.

Here’s why.

Cooper Black Font is Everywhere

Go around your block and look around. You might be surprised to realize that there are plenty of posters, signs, and logos that showcase Cooper Black. In this Vox video, Estelle Caswell talks with design experts Steven Heller and Bethany Heck about this font’s particular popularity.

Designed by Oswald Bruce Cooper and released in 1922, Cooper Black is a bolder variant of Cooper Old Style. Unlike other fonts, Cooper Black was unique because of its curves. In fact, these curves are even found at the bottom of each letter, sliding smoothly from one character to another. This cool feature made the font friendly and well, highly adaptable.

Back in the days when prints were created from wood and metal blocks, Cooper Black was an easy choice for printers and publishers because you could make the letters big or small without compromising on legibility. By the 60s and 70s, the font enjoyed celebrity status. It was featured on album covers, magazine, as well as underground propaganda leaflets.

Today, all you need to do is walk around your street to see traces of Cooper Black.

You can also find it pre-installed in regular apps like Word and Adobe. But if you want to download it as a separate element for your toolkit, you can get Cooper Black Regular at Fonts Geek, and Cooper Black Five by OPTIFONT at Font Meme. Both are free for personal use. If you want to use the font commercially, you can purchase it on Myfonts.