Arial: How a Cheap Helvetica Substitute Conquered the World

Arial is ubiquitous, yet its success isn't due to inherent beauty but rather its status as a cheap Helvetica substitute, riding the coattails of Microsoft Windows. The article details Arial's history, revealing it as not an original design, but a near-identical font created by Monotype to circumvent Helvetica's licensing. Bundled with Windows, Arial proliferated, becoming a standard for the masses, despite being viewed by professional designers as a low-quality imitation.