Typography

Our corporate typeface: accessible and eye-catching.

The occasions and media in which we use our corporate typeface are just as diverse as our Group. For this reason, we have an extensive typeface system in the form of DB Type, which features a diverse font family. What they all have in common: an accessible look and feel, high functionality and independence.

Example applications

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A summary of key points:  

  1. Our typeface is used in a way that is simple and eye-catching. 
  2. The text alignment and font sizes are flexible. 
  3. Our primary typefaces are the preferred choice. 
  4. Using mixed case brings out the character of our typeface. 

Our primary typefaces in use

With its bold letters, DB Head Black dominates the typographical look of headings. Its compact design makes it suitable for large texts in particular. Subheadings are distinguished from headings with a smaller font size. You can also use the DB Head Light type style in them.

DB Sans Regular is our basic typeface and is used for reading texts. Even in smaller font sizes, it’s clearly legible due to its subtle serifs. You can use DB Sans Bold for text emphasis.

To bring out the full character of our typeface, we write in mixed case. The interplay of upper- and lower-case letters highlights the unique features of our typography.


Flexible text alignment 

Depending on the medium, you can choose between left-aligned, centred and right-aligned type.

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Font colour 

Our type primarily appears in black or white. In addition to using DB Sans Bold, important content such as links to websites and calls to action can also be emphasised in red.  

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An overview of DB Type

In addition to the primary typefaces, DB Type comprises eight font families, which form an eye-catching visual system. Each font family has been specially developed for a specific application.

Font families classified as ‘Alternate’ contain alternative character forms, most visible in the letters ‘W’, ‘i’, ‘r’ and ‘g’. These alternatives expand the typographic repertoire of our font family.

Small-cap styles with shorter upper-case letters in place of lower-case letters feature the abbreviation ‘SC’ (small caps) in the font name.

The abbreviation ‘TF’ in the font name stands for ‘tabular figures’. They take up the same amount of space in tables and are thus precisely positioned one under the other. The DB Sans and DB Office type styles and DB Head Alternate also contain tabular figures.  


DB Head
With its bold letters, DB Head shapes the typographic look of our headings. Thanks to its compact design, it’s specially developed for eye-catching texts. 

DB Sans
DB Sans is our basic typeface and is used for reading texts. It’s clearly legible even in smaller font sizes.  


DB Sans Condensed
DB Sans Compressed is only used if saving space is the key criteria, for example in the ‘small print’ of terms and conditions. 

DB Sans Compressed
DB Sans Condensed is suitable for narrow text columns and is primarily used for margin texts and tables.  


DB Serif
DB Serif is the Antiqua variant of DB Sans. As a classic serif typeface, it’s used in particularly high-quality printed materials such as certificates.  

DB News
DB News is a more robust variant of DB Serif, developed as a basic typeface for the DB Group’s newspapers and magazines.  


DB Office
DB Office is used, for instance, in Microsoft Office programs. It features the same letter spacing as Arial, which simplifies type replacement on other computers.  

DB Plan
 The character set family DB Plan contains special characters which are primarily used in travel information media.  


Acquiring DB Type

DB Type represents exclusive fonts which may only be used by the companies of the DB Group and within the context of the DB corporate design.

External service providers pay a licensing fee to the URW++ company to obtain the typeface and may only use it as commissioned. Any other use beyond that is prohibited.

DB employees can obtain DB Type free of charge. 

Any questions?

Our corporate design gives you a great deal of freedom: we have consciously refrained from precisely defining every special case. Instead, you can decide for yourself which solution is the best for Deutsche Bahn. If you have any questions about how to interpret the corporate design, it goes without saying that we will be pleased to provide further assistance.

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