Literata is Google’s new default e-book typeface

If you’re tired of seeing the default Droid Serif typeface on all of your e-book on Google Books, you may be excited to hear that Google has decided to replace it with something new: Literata. This new typeface aims to not only distinguish Google Books from its competitors, it has been specially designed to be more interesting.  

Google has announced a new typeface for Google Books: Literata. Replacing Droid Serif as the default typeface for e-books via Google Books, Google says Literata is “perfect for long reads on all devices”. Created in conjunction with TypeFace, Google began work on Literata in April 2014. The goal was a “new book typeface was needed that would provide an outstanding reading experience on a whole range of devices and high resolution screens running different rendering technologies”. Literata will also “establish a recognizable visual identity” for Google Books, distinguishing it from other popular e-reading mediums like Nook or Kindle. In an attempt to create a modern typeface that was also familiar, TypeFace looked to Scotch and Roman fonts for inspiration. At the behest of Google’s senior UX designer Addy Lee Beavers, Literata also has a varied texture to make it more interesting.