Introducing Areal, Are.na’s New Typeface

Are.na partnered with design studio Dinamo to create Areal, a custom typeface that's a complete redraw of Arial. The project involved extensive research into Arial's history, tracing back to its 1996 internet version through digital screenshots. Dinamo rebuilt Arial from scratch with modern improvements like variable font capabilities, dark mode optimization, and additional characters while maintaining visual similarity to the original. The collaboration reflects both platforms' philosophy of thoughtful iteration and honoring existing design while making meaningful improvements.