Why Times New Roman Still Rules Official Documents
A classic font that keeps humans comfortable and AI running smoothly
When the U.S. State Department recently mandated Times New Roman as its official typeface, the internet had a field day. Some called it outdated. Others called it boring. A few accused it of setting typography back to the Jurassic period.
But here’s the truth: that mandate has real merit — and not the sentimental kind.
It’s technological.
Why the Mandate Matters
As government agencies modernize their workflows, they’re relying heavily on scanning systems, OCR, digital archives, and AI-powered search tools. These systems work best when the typography is uniform, standardized, and easy for machines to interpret.
Times New Roman excels at exactly that.
It’s not just readable for humans; it’s predictable for software. Clean edges, consistent line weight, and long-established character patterns mean machines identify letters with dramatically higher accuracy.
In a world where a single misread word can derail an entire document review, precision matters.
The Comfort of Familiarity
For decades, professionals across law, government, academia, and corporate sectors have used Times New Roman as their default reading environment. That familiarity means faster processing, fewer distractions, and less cognitive load.
It's the typeface equivalent of a well-worn path — efficient, reliable, and universally understood.
Built for Dense, Serious Text
Times New Roman holds its clarity at small sizes better than many modern sans-serif fonts. When you’re drafting policies, legal filings, audits, grants, or legislative proposals, conserving page space without destroying readability is a quiet act of mercy for anyone reading it.
Economical and Practical
It prints cleanly without devouring toner, which matters more in government offices than anyone wants to admit.
Neutral Tone with No Agenda
In official writing, your message should do the heavy lifting, not your font. Times New Roman stands aside and lets the content speak.
Universally Reliable on Any System
From brand-new workstations to battle-worn desktops still running outdated operating systems, Times New Roman displays consistently. No surprises, no formatting chaos, no PDF disasters.
The AI Advantage
This is where the State Department’s mandate shines.
Times New Roman is one of the best fonts for:
OCR scanning
Digital archiving
AI-powered search
Automated translation
High-volume indexing
Machine learning text analysis
Clean serif fonts reduce character confusion, increase scanning accuracy, and speed up automated document handling.
If a department processes millions of documents a year, shaving seconds off each scan isn’t aesthetic — it’s strategic.
The Bottom Line
Times New Roman isn’t just a relic of the past. It’s the rare classic that’s perfectly suited to modern demands. The State Department didn’t choose it for its nostalgia factor. They chose it because it works — for humans, for machines, and for the future of digital governance.
Sometimes the simplest choice is the smartest one.
