As television screens are typically viewed from a distance, interfaces that use
larger typography are more legible and comfortable for users. TV Design's
default type scale includes contrasting and flexible type styles to
support a wide range of use cases.

## Highlights

- Prioritize using larger typography for a more comfortable viewing experience on TV screens.
- The default Android TV typeface is Roboto.
- Choose distinct, legible fonts which best reflect your brand style.
- Ensure fonts are readable at a glance, with appropriate width and optical sizing.
- Pair complimentary fonts; for instance, use sans-serif for body text and labels.
- Maximize legibility by avoiding decorative fonts.

## Fonts

### Default typefaces

Android TV has its own system typeface, Roboto, which is optimized for
legibility and clarity. Use Roboto for a utilitarian, non-branded UI
element that's best served using the native platform experience.

![Roboto](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/roboto.webp)

### Distinct typefaces

Where relevant, use a distinctive font that reflects your brand style.
Here are the main things to think about when choosing a font:

- [Legibility](https://fonts.google.com/knowledge/glossary/legibility) - For better readability from a distance, use typefaces with large counters and apt optical sizing. Ensure letters are distinguishable from one other.
- [Readable at a glance](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/glanceable-fonts/)- Any text on TV needs to have a legible font width, as thinner lines are not instantly recognisable.
- [Pair complimentary fonts](https://fonts.google.com/knowledge/choosing_type/pairing_typefaces) - If you want to use multiple fonts, use a sans-serif typeface for body text and labels.

| **Note:** More personable fonts are best suited to bigger size text.

- If you can, avoid [decorative fonts](https://fonts.google.com/?category=Handwriting). While the font sizes on TV are bigger than other display sizes, UI text legibility is the priority. Steer clear of fonts that can't function as body text.

![Selecting typefaces](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/selecting-typeface.webp)

### Type scale

A type scale is a selection of font styles that can be used across an app.
It ensures a flexible, yet consistent style that accommodates a range
of purposes. The TV Design type scale is a combination of 15 styles,
each with an intended application and meaning. They're assigned based
on use, such as "display," or "headline," and are grouped into
categories based on scale (large or small). TV Design's default
type scale uses Roboto for all titles, labels, and body text to
create a unified typography experience.

![Type Scale](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-scale.webp)

To learn about typography tokens and typeface customization,
visit [Material Design 3](https://m3.material.io/styles/color/the-color-system/key-colors-tones).

## Type roles

### Display

There are three display styles in the default type scale: large, medium,
and small. As the largest text on the screen, large display styles are
reserved for short, important text passages, or numerals. They can be
used for the main heading of the screen. Don't use large display
styles for section or cluster headings.
| **Tip:** For display type, consider choosing a more expressive font. If available, set the appropriate optical size to your usage.

![Type Display](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-display.webp)

### Headline

Headlines are best-suited for short, high-emphasis text.
These styles can be good for marking primary passages of text or
important regions of content. They are used for headings in featured
carousels and immersive clusters. Headlines can also make use of
expressive typefaces, provided appropriate line height and letter spacing
helps maintain readability.

![Type headline](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-headline.webp)

### Title

Title styles are smaller than headline styles. Use titles for brief,
medium-emphasis text. For example, consider using titles to divide secondary
passages of text or secondary regions of content.

Use titles for UI elements like cards or lists. Title sizes are compact
while providing a useful level of prominence and legibility.

![Type title](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-title.webp)

### Body

Body styles are used for longer text passages in your app. Use typefaces
that are readable at smaller sizes and can be comfortably read in longer
passages. Avoid decorative fonts for body text since these can be hard
to read from far away.

![Type body](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-body.webp)

### Label

Label styles are smaller, utilitarian styles, used for things like the text
inside components or for very small text in the content body, such as captions.
Buttons, for example, use the label large style.

![Type label](https://developer.android.com/static/design/ui/tv/guides/styles/images/typography/type-label.webp)