We frequently get enquiries and requests about using the GOV.UK typeface (a variant of New Transport called GDS Transport) on other websites.
For licensing reasons we have to be quite strict about what can use the typeface. The GDS Transport font files are licensed for use on the www.gov.uk, *.service.gov.uk and *.blog.gov.uk domains only. For services publicly available on different domains, use an alternative font like Arial.
The licence also covers supporting materials for those domains, so if you’re redesigning the paper forms, creating leaflets or posters to help users with your service (and it has passed the Digital by Default Service Standard) you can use GDS Transport for that too.
10 comments
Comment by Frank posted on
Broken link to GOV.UK in second para.
Are there any plans to extend the use of GDS Transport to other domains?
Comment by Mark Hurrell posted on
thanks, fixed the link
no, sorry we don't have any plans to allow GDS Transport on other domains
Comment by Tom Wynne-Morgan posted on
Hmmm, so the code is open source but the font is not. I'd be really keen to understand why that is.
Comment by Andy posted on
If the website domain ends in .gov.uk but isn't hosted on the GOV.UK framework can the GDS Transport font be used?
Comment by Joe Lanman posted on
According to Mark's article, you'd need to have a domain that ends with ".service.gov.uk" or ".blog.gov.uk"
Comment by kursus toko online posted on
so the code is open source but the font is not
Comment by Phill posted on
Can a local authority use this wonderful new font for improving usability of its online services e.g on a domain such as local-authority.gov.uk ?
Comment by Tim Paul posted on
Hi Phill, sorry for the delayed response. I'm afraid the font can only be used on GOV.UK, not local authority websites.
Comment by Steve Mitchell posted on
Hello Tim, you state above 'the font can only be used on GOV.UK, not local authority websites'. Doesn't this go against the sharing good practice ethos of GOV.UK?
Are there any plans to look again at this decision. I'm currently redesigning a District Council website and using a lot of the GOV.UK design principles. I would love to be able to use the GDS Transport font as it has a much cleaner and fresher feel to it than Arial.
Comment by Tim Paul posted on
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comment. I'm afraid we have no plans to revisit the decision at this stage. The GDS Transport typeface is integral to the identity of GOV.UK and our current licence restricts its use to that site.