Strong typography is critical to the success and integrity of the Lexmark brand. Our lead brand typeface is TP Hero. It is precise, modern and human, empowering us to speak with confidence and clarity across all core communications. Typography is our most important tactic for creating information hierarchy. We do this through white space, weight, color and size. 

Our use of typography is restrained, clear and precise. Type size and color emphasis are used to ensure information hierarchies are simple yet sophisticated.

Principles

Create a clear hierarchy
Size and color is used to create clear hierarchies of information within applications. Color aids distinction between lead and supporting content.

ASK YOURSELF
Q: Does the type lead the users’ eye intentionally through the content?

Design for clear legibility
A generous x-height ensures that TP Hero has strong legibility at all sizes, across all formats. Additionally, color accessibility guidelines should be considered.

ASK YOURSELF
Q: Does the design achieve legibility for the end user for both large and small-format use cases?

Connection to our graphic language TP Hero's angles connect to the logo icon aperture
Distinct and precise typography TP Hero is sharp and precise

Guidance

Font weight

TP Hero is the brand font for marketing communications.

We use two weights in the TP Hero family: regular and semibold. Regular is our primary weight, for both body copy and headers. Semibold is used more sparingly to add impact, however it is acceptable for headers and subheads. While TP Hero includes bold, black, hairline and other weights, those are reserved for specific display applications.

Lexmark typography: TP Hero Regular
Lexmark typography: TP Hero Semibold

Arial should be used for general communications (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) and as an alternative font for the web.

Lexmark typography: Arial for general communications
Lexmark typography: Arial for general communications

Using text with color

Color in layouts
The default typography color is black. If there is enough contrast for accessbility, Lexmark dark gray is acceptable for light backgrounds.

Lexmark color usage is covered in the color guidance section, and the principles addressed there carry over to text. Color usage of Lexmark greens, in particular, should be used purposefully to provide impact and hierarchy.

Color accessibility
These simple examples show how text size, background color and content hierachy impact color usage in text.

Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in lighter themes
Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in lighter themes

An overarching Lexmark design principle is to default to ligher color themes over darker themes.

Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in lighter themes
Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in lighter themes

The Lexmark color palette consists of core greens and grays. The lighter grays are an alternative "lighter theme" when designing for the brand.

Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in dark theme
Lexmark Brand Center typography usage in a dark theme

When use cases dictate, darker themes are used with our darker grays and blacks from our brand colors. Adhering to type accessibility best practices is key to the success of a darker theme with our palette.

Print type sizes

The print type styles vary per use case, but is based on a paragraph style of 10 pt text for most uses — or 8 pt for dense text such as white papers. Exact documentation of heading and paragraph styles will have variations based on our template system, but the text scale is represented loosely below.

Specific template text styles can be made available upon request.

Lexmark Brand Center typography print type style sample sample type not to scale

Digital type scale

Our Lexmark type scale includes a range of sizes that support responsive design and smaller devices (tablets and mobile). The type scale is based on the Minor Third Scale (1.200 with a base font size of 16 px).

The majority of our digitial collateral is based on this type scale for headings <h> and paragraph <p> text. Exact CSS documentation may have slight variations based on SASS calculations and use cases, but is represented very closely by our digital type scale sample, which can be downloaded in our resources section.

Lexmark Brand Center typography digital type scale sample sample type not to scale

Usage quick notes

Do’s and don’ts

Incorrect usage of the Lexmark font can jeopardize our license agreement and create confusion in the marketplace.

Marketing applications
TP Hero is the primary font in all marketing communications. This includes corporate stationery (letterhead, business card, etc.), brochures (success stories, product sheets, etc.), websites, advertising, events and more.

  • Do: Use TP Hero as the main marketing communications font
  • Do: When possible, use recommendended type sizes and colors
  • Do: Acquire permission to access TP Hero

General communications
TP Hero is not used on general communications created by the broad Lexmark team. Invoices, letters, email, PowerPoint and other similar day-to-day material should use Arial.

  • Don't: Outside of Arial, do not use a substitute font family
  • Don't: Do not modify, skew or stretch TP Hero horizontally or vertically
  • Don't: Do not use non-branded colors for Lexmark typography
  • Don't: Do not mix TP Hero family weights that do align with recommendations
  • Don't: Do not manipulate text kerning and tracking to the extremes

Co-branding fonts

Establishing strong partnerships with both our customers relies on mutual respect. It’s essential to extend the same level of respect to their brand as we do to our own. Prior to proceeding with a Lexmark co-branding endeavor, answer these questions:

Is Lexmark the lead brand?
If Lexmark takes the lead as the primary brand, adhere to our brand guidelines for type usage with TP Hero.

If the partner’s brand should hold greater prominence, then ahdere to their font guidelines. It’s crucial that any co-branded materials produced by the partner are perceived as originating from the partner’s company rather than from Lexmark.

Are we co-branding with a partner?
Ensure both Lexmark and partner brand have a cohesive design solution for font usage. Contact Lexmark Global Design Team for review and approvals.

Do we have permission?
Before using the Lexmark font TP Hero, secure permission from the design team.

Lexmark as the primary brand Lexmark as the primary brand
Partner as the primary brand Partner as the primary brand
Co-branding with a partner (Reach out for review) Co-branding with a partner

Supplemental display fonts

TP Hero should always be the prominent font for marketing communications. Occasionally, themed event or campaign-specific designs are enhanced with a specialty display font that supports the use case.

Please contact the design team for review and approvals for very limited and specific use cases.

Specialty use case for supplemental fonts Large event booth with specific theme — overall content is primarily branded with TP Hero, but specialty font usage is secondary to support theme details

Downloads and resources

Our license for TP Hero restricts its use to design and production departments. It is available upon request. A supplemental Lexmark-specific icon font is selectively used for internally produced collateral. This is created and maintained by the Lexmark design and production departments.

Print resources

Digital resources

Typography guidelines

Foundational documentation for TP Hero font and type usage

Filename
240812_Lexmark-Brand-Center-typography_guide.pdf
Size
848 KB
Structure
PDF
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