Thanks. My research hasn't come up with a better viable choice. Just thought I'd check with the experience resource here.

Tom is correct:

Arial typeface history

I was involved with all of this at the time, and font licensing was absurdly expensive, with Bitstream charging thousands of dollars for a font, where a font was defined as just one style, size, and weight. Thus you licensed Helvetica 10 point bold, but paid a separate license for Helvetica 12 point normal, etc. Scalable fonts had not yet been invented.

When scalable font technology was invented (e.g., TrueType), Microsoft invented its own font library in order to avoid licensing fees, but created these fonts to be visually identical to better-known fonts.

Switzerland is almost identical. It used to be sold with CorelDRAW graphics package (don't know nowadays).
Arial looks slightly different.

There are very slight differences.. but for the most part.. unnoticeable. Unless one knows what to look for.
Opening documents already written with the Helvetica font, a PC w/o Helvetica will usually substitute Arial by default

I use font squirrel for most of my font needs. You'll find that most of their fonts are completely free.

As others have said, Arial is an ultra close approximate to Helvetica.

If you want actual Helvetica you don't really need to buy every font in the Helvetica line. In video you are likely only going to use a few actual fonts, and these would be only $29 each. MyFonts.com and Fonts.com are good options.

I cannot comment on the validity of this sites fonts, but they have Helvetica and Helvetica Neue free.
http://www.ephifonts.com/

dafont.com is also a good font site I use.

NormanPCN...
Many thanks for the epifonts link. That was easy.

OK, if you are willing to use a free font, then you are not someone who worries about typeface subtleties. I don't say that in a derogatory way because many of us, including me, don't look closely at slight differences between similar fonts. However, if you are not discerning when it comes to typography, then I see no reason whatsoever not to use Arial, something that will look identical to 99.9% of your audience, and probably to you as well, and which is already installed and will work without any issues or problems.

Normally, I would agree. However, I have a client who is more than a bit focused on style issues. To quote Dilbert, "Gaaaaa!"

My new machine has only Win 7 Pro, Vegas 13, MS Office 2013 and Adobe Reader XI on it. Somehow Arial has appeared, and is showing in Vegas. I suspect it came with Office.

A large assortment of the Arial family installs with Windows, and has since around Windows 3-ish.

... then I see no reason whatsoever not to use Arial, something that will look identical to 99.9% of your audience, and probably to you as well, and which is already installed and will work without any issues or problems.


The Arial that is installed in Windows is great but still not a full Arial font suite. Condensed is not there. Also, the Medium or semi-bold is not there. Personally, I like the Medium/semi-bold fonts. In many the normal Regular weight is a little thin for video and the Bold frequently too much.

If someone specifies Helvetica it's quite likely that person is aware of the differences between Arial and Helvetica, slight to the rest of us but glaring to typography freaks, and wants Helvetica. You might be able to get away with an OpenType version for under $50.