Verdana is a typeface that has become a cornerstone of digital typography since its introduction in the mid-1990s. Designed by the renowned typographer Matthew Carter and released by Microsoft in 1996, Verdana was specifically crafted to meet the unique challenges of on-screen readability. Its development marked a significant shift in the way fonts were designed for digital environments, addressing issues that were becoming increasingly apparent as more people began reading text on screens rather than on paper. Verdana’s wide, open letterforms and generous spacing were intended to improve legibility on low-resolution screens, making it easier to read small text without straining the eyes.
The creation of Verdana came at a time when the internet was starting to grow rapidly, and there was a pressing need for typefaces that could perform well on computer screens, particularly those with lower resolutions. The limitations of screen technology in the 1990s meant that many traditional fonts, designed for print, were difficult to read when displayed on digital devices. Matthew Carter, a legendary figure in the field of typography, recognized this problem and sought to design a typeface that would be optimized for screen use. Working closely with Microsoft, Carter designed Verdana as part of a broader initiative to create a set of core fonts that would improve the overall user experience in the digital world.
