Cina Sans | Public Type

Buy It

Try It

Buy It

Try It

Neutral

with a voice.

Family

▶

Cina Sans

Designer

Michael Cina

2024-2026

Cina Sans is a neo-grotesque shaped by decades of working with the genre, through admiration, critique, and the limits of what most of it can do. Where Helvetica and its descendants set the standard for neutrality, Cina Sans was drawn to keep that clarity and add a voice.

Family Size

27 total styles: 9 Roman, 9 Italic, 9 Mono. Display, and Text cuts in development

Features

17 stylistic sets, extensive alternates, case-sensitive forms, small caps, multiple figure styles, tabular figures, fractions and ordinals, superior and inferior figures, localized forms, symbols, enclosed alphanumerics and letters, arrows, character alternates

Character sets

Latin Extended. ~1,460 glyphs per weight. 315 languages.

Custom Cuts

Available for custom modification. View Iversans, a custom cut for Bon Iver.

Licensing

Desktop/Print, Web, Content, App/Game, Logo/Wordmark, Core Media, All Media

Formats

OTF, WOFF2, Variable (based on license type)

Regular

Shuffle

Cina Sans/AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz

1234567890!@#$%

Shuffle

Cina Sans/AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz

1234567890!@#$%

Cina Sans contains a roman, italic, and mono, each containing 9 weights and continues to expand. Eighteen stylistic sets that shift the tone from traditional to contemporary. Looser spacing in the text weights for comfortable reading. Built for editorial, branding, and text that needs to read but also say something unique.

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Variable Weights

Variable type description

Cina Sans Variable

Axis

AaBbCc01234567890!@#$%^&*()

Cina Sans Mono Variable

Axis

AaBbCc01234567890!@#$%^&*()

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The Cuts

Cina Sans

Nine weights, thin to black. The core of the family. The regular weight is spaced looser for comfortable reading. The full range of stylistic sets makes it adaptable to almost any context.

Cina Sans Italic

Nine weights, drawn to carry emphasis and voice without breaking the texture of the text. A stark italic that pairs cleanly across the full roman range.

Cina Sans Mono

Nine weights of roman. Extends the family into technical territory to carry the voice of the roman into fixed-width settings.

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Familiar, not anonymous.

Regular

Familiar, not anonymous.

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

A neo-grotesque with a touch of attitude.

Regular

A neo-grotesque with a touch of attitude.

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Quietly opinionated.

Regular

Quietly opinionated.

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Cina Sans

Value

Cina Sans reads like a classic sans and it isn't a revival. Straight forms, controlled contrast, and quiet terminals keep the neutrality that makes a grotesque work in any context. Every letter was drawn to give the system a voice of its own.

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Cina Sans

Value

Cina Sans reads like a classic sans and it isn't a revival. Straight forms, controlled contrast, and quiet terminals keep the neutrality that makes a grotesque work in any context. Every letter was drawn to give the system a voice of its own.

▶

Cina Sans

Value

Looser spacing in the text weights holds rhythm across paragraphs and columns. Cina Sans sits down in body copy and holds up at display size. Eighteen stylistic sets shift the tone from traditional to contemporary, so one setting can serve many kinds of work.

▶

Cina Sans

Value

Looser spacing in the text weights holds rhythm across paragraphs and columns. Cina Sans sits down in body copy and holds up at display size. Eighteen stylistic sets shift the tone from traditional to contemporary, so one setting can serve many kinds of work.

▶

Cina Sans

Value

Nine weights of roman and italic, plus a nine-weight mono. One family covers editorial, brand identity, interface, and code without importing a second face. Mastered in collaboration with a Google typeface developer, so the font holds up whereever it's used. 

▶

Cina Sans

Value

Nine weights of roman and italic, plus a nine-weight mono. One family covers editorial, brand identity, interface, and code without importing a second face. Mastered in collaboration with a Google typeface developer, so the font holds up whereever it's used. 

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Neutral by default.

Regular

Neutral by default.

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Expressive by design.

Regular

Expressive by design.

Regular

Size

200

Leading

0.90

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Variable! Behaves in text while carrying a headline.

Regular

Variable! Behaves in text while carrying a headline.

Regular

Size

Leading

1.00

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

The regular and text weights are spaced looser than most neo-grotesques, which makes Cina Sans comfortable in long-form reading. Display cuts (in development) will compress that spacing for headline use. Spacing was treated as a design decision that changes across weight and context, not a single setting applied across the family.

Regular

Size

Leading

1.15

Tracking

0.000em

OT Features

No features available

Cina Sans is a neo-grotesque sans-serif that keeps the clarity of a classic sans and gives it a voice. It sits in the same Swiss universe as Helvetica, Unica, Arial, etc. but it is not drawn from any of them. It is drawn from years of using sans, not a historical revival or a reinterpretation. The premise is that neutrality does not require anonymity as a font can behave in text without disappearing. Cina Sans handles long-form reading, holds rhythm across paragraphs, and sits comfortably at caption size. The terminals, the hooks, and the proportions add up to a face that reads as familiar and looks like… itself. The family is a system. The roman and italic run nine weights each, and the mono adds nine more (roman only). Together they cover long-form reading, brand identity, interface, and code. Eighteen stylistic sets shift the tone from traditional forms (hooked j, f, r, t) to contemporary ones (straighter, simpler). Set the same paragraph many different ways and it reads like different fonts. Approximately 1,460 glyphs per weight cover 315 languages. Small caps, oldstyle and lining figures, tabular and proportional numbers, fractions, ordinals, and localized forms are included. Rendering was worked out in collaboration with a Google typeface developer, so performance holds in print, on screen, and in product. Cina Sans is for designers, art directors, and brands who want a modern grotesque sans that isn't basic.

Regular

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Designer

Michael Cina

Regular

Michael Cina’s work exists at the intersection of design, typography, branding, strategy, and art. This uncommon mix allows him to see differently and direct ideas with purpose. Decades of moving fluidly between disciplines have shaped an approach that blends instinct with strategy, intuition with clarity, and expression with systems thinking. An internationally recognized Creative Director and Artist, Michael leads the multi-disciplinary studio Cina Associates. 

His work spans global brands including Disney, Apple, American Express, ESPN, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft. Across his career, he has synthesized typography, branding, illustration, motion, web, music, photography, and type design into cohesive systems that perform across platforms and cultures. His work has been widely published, recognized with Emmy and Grammy honors, and he is a frequent speaker at global design conferences, sharing a point of view rooted in authorship, clarity, and long-term brand thinking.

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Designer Notes

Regular

Cina Sans started as an inquiry for a custom type project. The client wanted a distinctive sans that felt grounded. The project never panned out, but I started wondering what my ideal sans would look like and began sketching. It took almost two years to finish, and decades of discernment.

The goal was a typeface that felt neutral but distinctly mine. Adaptable, multifunctional, useful to me and to other designers.

I defined each letter by how I wanted it to look and behave, then tested and iterated until the letters worked as a system. I had tried to draw a neo-grotesque sans three times before. Each attempt stalled. The timing, the context, and the voice were not ready.

When Cina Sans finally came together, it felt different. I had more experience, more discernment, and a clearer sense of what the font should be. A design practice matures through accumulation, not just skill. Enough years behind you to know what you are drawing toward, and why.

Justin Vernon reached out while I was in the middle of drawing Cina Sans. He wanted a font as his identity, and described something almost exactly like what I was already drawing. When I showed him Cina Sans, he said, "that's it." We developed a custom cut for him in parallel with the release. His version is called Iver Sans, and the two shipped around the same time. The work and the need showed up together for reasons that make sense only in hindsight.

Aiming for an ideal sans is an abstract goal. Without strict boundaries, the work can feel overwhelming. The initial idea came together quickly. Refinement took over a year. Testing with friends kept things moving, and seeing them use the font in real projects helped me understand what was working.

Cina Sans is versatile. It works in text, display, and branding, and holds up in digital settings. Eighteen stylistic sets widen that range so designers can tune it to their project. This is a design system, more than a typeface.

Regular

Cina Sans started as an inquiry for a custom type project. The client wanted a distinctive sans that felt grounded. The project never panned out, but I started wondering what my ideal sans would look like and began sketching. It took almost two years to finish, and decades of discernment.

The goal was a typeface that felt neutral but distinctly mine. Adaptable, multifunctional, useful to me and to other designers.

I defined each letter by how I wanted it to look and behave, then tested and iterated until the letters worked as a system. I had tried to draw a neo-grotesque sans three times before. Each attempt stalled. The timing, the context, and the voice were not ready.

When Cina Sans finally came together, it felt different. I had more experience, more discernment, and a clearer sense of what the font should be. A design practice matures through accumulation, not just skill. Enough years behind you to know what you are drawing toward, and why.

Justin Vernon reached out while I was in the middle of drawing Cina Sans. He wanted a font as his identity, and described something almost exactly like what I was already drawing. When I showed him Cina Sans, he said, "that's it." We developed a custom cut for him in parallel with the release. His version is called Iver Sans, and the two shipped around the same time. The work and the need showed up together for reasons that make sense only in hindsight.

Aiming for an ideal sans is an abstract goal. Without strict boundaries, the work can feel overwhelming. The initial idea came together quickly. Refinement took over a year. Testing with friends kept things moving, and seeing them use the font in real projects helped me understand what was working.

Cina Sans is versatile. It works in text, display, and branding, and holds up in digital settings. Eighteen stylistic sets widen that range so designers can tune it to their project. This is a design system, more than a typeface.

Michael Cina

2024-2026

Family

Cina Sans

Designers

Michael Cina

Release

2024-2026

Family Size

27 total styles: 9 Roman, 9 Italic, 9 Mono. Display, and Text cuts in development

Features

Character Set

Latin Extended. ~1,460 glyphs per weight. 315 languages.

Formats

OTF, WOFF2, Variable (based on license type)

Licensing

Desktop/Print, Web, Content, App/Game, Logo/Wordmark, Core Media, All Media

Supported Languages

Acheron, Achinese, Acholi, Achuar-Shiwiar, Afar, Afrikaans, Aguaruna, Alekano, Aleut, Algonquin, Amahuaca, Amarakaeri, Amis, Anaang, Andaandi, Anuta, Ao Naga, Apinayé, Aragonese, Arbëreshë Albanian, Arvanitika Albanian, Asháninka, Ashéninka Perené, Asu (Tanzania), Atayal, Balinese, Banjar, Bari, Basque, Batak Dairi, Batak Karo, Batak Mandailing, Batak Simalungun, Batak Toba, Bemba (Zambia), Bena (Tanzania), Bikol, Bislama, Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo, Bosnian, Breton, Buginese, Candoshi-Shapra, Caquinte, Caribbean Hindustani, Cashibo-Cacataibo, Cashinahua, Catalan, Cebuano, Central Aymara, Central Kurdish, Chachi, Chamorro, Chavacano, Chiga, Chiltepec Chinantec, Chokwe, Chuukese, Cimbrian, Cofán, Congo Swahili, Cook Islands Māori, Cornish, Corsican, Creek, Crimean Tatar, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dehu, Dutch, Eastern Arrernte, Eastern Oromo, Embu, English, Ese Ejja, Esperanto, Faroese, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, French, Friulian, Gagauz, Galician, Ganda, Garifuna, Ga'anda, German, Gheg Albanian, Gilbertese, Gooniyandi, Gourmanchéma, Guadeloupean Creole French, Gusii, Haitian, Hani, Hiligaynon, Ho-Chunk, Hopi, Huastec, Hungarian, Icelandic, Ido, Iloko, Inari Sami, Indonesian, Interglossa, Interlingua, Interlingue, Irish, Istro Romanian, Italian, Ixcatlán Mazatec, Jamaican Creole English, Javanese, Jola-Fonyi, K'iche', Kabuverdianu, Kaingang, Kalaallisut, Kalenjin, Kamba (Kenya), Kaonde, Karelian, Kashubian, Kekchí, Kenzi/Mattokki, Khasi, Kikuyu, Kimbundu, Kinyarwanda, Kituba (DRC), Klingon, Kongo, Konzo, Kuanyama, Kven Finnish, Kölsch, Ladin, Ladino, Latgalian, Ligurian, Lithuanian, Lojban, Lombard, Low German, Lower Sorbian, Luba-Lulua, Lule Sami, Luo (Kenya and Tanzania), Luxembourgish, Macedo-Romanian, Makhuwa, Makhuwa-Meetto, Makonde, Makwe, Malagasy, Malaysian, Maltese, Mandinka, Mandjak, Manx, Maore Comorian, Maori, Mapudungun, Marshallese, Matsés, Mauritian Creole, Meriam Mir, Meru, Minangkabau, Mirandese, Mohawk, Montenegrin, Munsee, Murrinh-Patha, Mwani, Mískito, Naga Pidgin, Ndonga, Neapolitan, Ngazidja Comorian, Niuean, Nobiin, Nomatsiguenga, North Ndebele, Northern Kurdish, Northern Qiandong Miao, Northern Uzbek, Northwestern Ojibwa, Norwegian, Novial, Nyanja, Nyankole, Occitan, Ojitlán Chinantec, Orma, Oroqen, Palauan, Paluan, Pampanga, Papantla Totonac, Papiamento, Pedi, Picard, Pichis Ashéninka, Piemontese, Pijin, Pintupi-Luritja, Pipil, Pohnpeian, Polish, Portuguese, Potawatomi, Purepecha, Páez, Quechua, Romanian, Romansh, Rotokas, Rundi, Rwa, Samburu, Samoan, Sango, Sangu (Tanzania), Saramaccan, Sardinian, Scots, Scottish Gaelic, Sena, Seri, Seselwa Creole French, Shambala, Shawnee, Shipibo-Conibo, Shona, Shuar, Sicilian, Silesian, Slovak, Slovenian, Soga, Somali, Soninke, South Ndebele, Southern Aymara, Southern Qiandong Miao, Southern Sami, Southern Sotho, Spanish, Sranan Tongo, Standard Estonian, Standard Latvian, Standard Malay, Sundanese, Swahili, Swati, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Tahitian, Taita, Tedim Chin, Tetum, Tetun Dili, Tiv, Toba, Tojolabal, Tok Pisin, Tokelau, Toki Pona, Tonga (Tonga Islands), Tonga (Zambia), Tosk Albanian, Tsonga, Tswana, Tumbuka, Turkish, Turkmen, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Uab Meto, Umbundu, Upper Guinea Crioulo, Upper Sorbian, Venetian, Veps, Volapük, Võro, Walloon, Walser, Wangaaybuwan-Ngiyambaa, Waorani, Waray (Philippines), Warlpiri, Wayuu, Welsh, West Central Oromo, Western Abnaki, Western Frisian, Wik-Mungkan, Wiradjuri, Wolof, Xavánte, Xhosa, Yanesha', Yao, Yapese, Yindjibarndi, Yucateco, Zapotec, Zulu, Záparo