Franklin Gothic, Times, Century and Helvetica are among the 10 most popular typefaces used by newspapers today, according to a study released by Ascender Corp., an Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based font developer.

Ascender conducted the survey to determine what typefaces America’s top newspapers now use and what steps dailies might need to take as they migrate to electronic delivery.

“Newspapers have new challenges designing and publishing both print and electronic versions,” said Bill Davis, the study’s author. “Each medium has different font formats and technologies to create and render fonts with optimal legibility.”

Davis said designers are still attempting to find the right approach to create electronic editions that preserve the look and feel of the print edition, “particularly regarding maintaining brand identity,” he said.

In addition to identifying the top 10 fonts, the study found that seven of the nation’s biggest newspapers use typefaces specifically designed or commissioned on their behalf.  

Thirty-five of the top 100 daily newspapers use custom typefaces in concert with off-the-shelf fonts.

 “The use of custom fonts allows publications to strengthen their brand and give a distinct, exclusive quality to their publication,” Ascender said.

On top of Franklin Gothic, Times, Century and Helvetica, other popular fonts include Poynter, Futura, Utopia, Nimrod, Bureau and Interstate, the study said.

Ascender is making copies of the study available free of charge. For a copy, send an e-mail to: newspaperfonts@ascendercorp.com.