Our Fonts
We use two specific Fonts across every part of Claru. This page explains what they are, why we chose them, and what that means for you.
Atkinson Hyperlegible
Body TextThe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Bold: 0OIl1 — hard letters, made clear.
This is the Font we use for all body Text — on this Website, in PDF Documents, and in Word Documents.
Made by the Braille Institute • Free, Open Font Licence
Lexend Deca
HeadingsA Clear Heading
Subheadings look like this.
This is the Font we use for all Headings — every Page Title, Section Heading, and Navigation item.
Designed by Bonnie Shaver-Troup • Free, Open Font Licence
Why Atkinson Hyperlegible ?
Atkinson Hyperlegible was designed by the Braille Institute of America. It was created for one purpose: to make reading easier for people with low Vision.
Most Fonts share similar shapes for letters like lowercase l, uppercase I, and the number 1. At small sizes, these are almost impossible to tell apart. Atkinson Hyperlegible gives every character a unique, unmistakable shape.
The same thinking applies to O and 0, a and o, and many other pairs that cause confusion in standard Fonts.
Why it matters for Easy Read. Our Documents are used by people with learning disabilities, low Vision, and reading difficulties. Using a Font that was specifically designed for those readers is not a styling choice — it is a practical one.
The Font is named after J. Robert Atkinson, founder of the Braille Institute. It is free to use under the Open Font Licence.
What Atkinson Hyperlegible does well
- Every letter has a distinct, recognisable shape
- Works well at all sizes — large and small
- Strong contrast between letters and their backgrounds
- Designed and tested with low-Vision readers
Why Lexend Deca ?
Lexend Deca was designed by Bonnie Shaver-Troup, an educational therapist and reading specialist. Her research looked at what makes text harder or easier to read for students with reading difficulties — including dyslexia.
The result is a Font family with carefully adjusted letter spacing and proportions. These adjustments reduce visual crowding — the effect where letters feel too close together and become hard to distinguish.
Why it works for Headings. Lexend Deca has a clean, modern shape that creates clear visual hierarchy. Headings need to stand apart from body Text. Lexend Deca does this without using gimmicks or unusual letterforms — it is easy to read while still being visually distinct.
Lexend Deca is part of the broader Lexend Font family. We chose the Deca variant because it has the most balanced proportions for both Headings and interface Labels. Like Atkinson Hyperlegible, it is free under the Open Font Licence.
What Lexend Deca does well
- Reduces visual crowding between letters
- Clear, modern shape that creates good visual hierarchy
- Works well at large sizes — ideal for Headings
- Research-backed by work in educational reading therapy
Where We Use These Fonts
Both Fonts appear everywhere in Claru — not just on the Website.
| Where | Body Text | Headings |
|---|---|---|
| This Website | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Easy Read PDF | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Plain English PDF | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Easy Read Word Document | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Plain English Word Document | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Readability Certificate | Atkinson Hyperlegible | Lexend Deca |
| Emails | Atkinson Hyperlegible (where the Email client supports it — most do not) | |
The Fonts are embedded directly in PDF files. Anyone who opens the PDF sees the correct Font — no installation required. Word Documents reference the Fonts by name. If the recipient does not have them installed, Microsoft Word substitutes a similar Font automatically. Both Fonts are free to download from Google Fonts.
What These Fonts Can and Cannot Do
We want to be honest about this.
What they help with
- Making individual letters easier to tell apart at a glance
- Reducing visual crowding, particularly for readers with dyslexia
- Consistent, professional appearance across all our Documents
- Meeting UKAAF clear print guidance on Font choices for Easy Read
What they do not fix
- Font choices alone do not make text accessible. Short sentences, simple words, and clear structure matter more.
- Screen readers read the words, not the Font. Font choice does not affect how a Document sounds when read aloud.
- People with severe visual impairments may need large print, Braille, or audio versions instead of — or as well as — our Documents.
- Email clients vary widely. Many do not load external Fonts. Recipients may see Arial or a system Font instead.
If you need a Document in a specific Format for accessibility reasons — large print, audio, or an alternative Font — please contact us. We are happy to help.
The Brand Reason Too
We also chose these Fonts because they are distinctly Claru.
Most software uses system Fonts — Arial, Helvetica, or whatever the operating system provides. These Fonts are fine. But they give no sense of identity. They say nothing about who made the Document or why.
Atkinson Hyperlegible and Lexend Deca are still relatively uncommon. When you see them, there is a reason behind them. Both were designed by people who cared about making reading easier. That is exactly what Claru is trying to do.
We think the Fonts you choose reflect your values. These two reflect ours.