Instagram unveils new typeface Instagram Sans as part of its brand’s ‘visual refresh’

Instagram announced on Monday that its brand is going through a “visual refresh.” That move entails launching a new typeface called Instagram Sans, along with a new look for its logo and a new layout for posts on the app.

One of the changes that Instagram users might encounter the most is the new typeface that they can use on their Feed and Stories. The Instagram Sans typeface includes a total of eight fonts, including Instagram Sans Regular, Bold, Light, Medium, Script, Script Bold, Condensed, and Condensed Bold.

The social media company says the overall design of its new global typeface features “squircle” -- an in-between of square and circle -- that will be represented in the different variants of the typeface. Instagram also describes Instagram Sans as a contemporary design that integrates grotesque and geometric styles. Fine details on some of the fonts, especially with the letter “Q,” are also made to look like “the flick of a human hand.”

“While designing this new typeface, our goal was to make Instagram Sans globally accessible,” Instagram said in the announcement post. “We partnered with language experts around the world to adapt the typeface to global scripts including Arabic, Thai and Japanese.”

Instagram users can visit a dedicated page for the new typeface to see how all eight fonts look on every letter. There is also a text generator for users to view how their stickied texts will appear on their in-app posts.

The Instagram logo has also received a new look following the brand’s visual refresh. While the company retains the familiar five-color palette, the logo’s gradient has been redesigned to look like it illuminates. Instagram says reworking the logo involved a 3D modeling process to achieve “new dimensionality and vibrancy.”

The dedicated page for the redesigned logo gradient suggests these changes will also be reflected on the heart icon that appears when users like a post. So instead of seeing a plain red image, the icon will feature the brand’s colors that illuminate upon pressing the Like button.

Instagram also announced a new marketing layout that uses a full-screen design. In samples provided in the announcement post and on this brand page, users will find that certain posts and Reels will now be pushed toward the edge of their screens, so the buttons and other text information are hovering over an image or a video.

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash