commonSans | notyourtype foundry

commonsans

In 2021, Xiaoyuan became intrigued by the phenomenon of ink bleed as seen in the printed text on mass-produced items, such as the text on eggshells, capacitors, and expiration dates on food packaging. Initially, she wanted to emulate this ink bleed effect on typeface, but due to her technical limitations at the time, she was unable to find a satisfactory way to replicate it. The idea persisted in her mind for a loooong time, and finally, through continuous practice in and sheer stubbornness, she made another attempt. This led to the creation of commonSans.
字体灵感来源于「在批量生产的产品表面上印刷的实用信息」，例如鸡蛋壳上的字，小型电容器上的信息，以及各种食品包装上的保质期。这些字多少都会有点晕墨。Xiaoyuan 非常喜欢这个晕墨后字体所呈现的型态，2021年的时候她就想做有晕墨感觉的字了。由于当时自己技术有限，没能找到合适的方法做出来，但是她没放弃，这几年一边做着比较实验型的字体设计，一方面也在练习做一点可读性比较好的字⋯⋯于是就有了今天的 commonSans ：）

Wow, you are still reading this! Are you looking for commonSans-condensed? It is still under development. commonSans-condensed was used in the design Valiz Spring/Summer 2025 catalog, as Xiaoyuan is the graphic designer so she could use her own WIP typeface... For now please enjoy the commonSans-notRegular, it will be extended to a font family. Stay tuned. :)

Year: 2024

Designer: Xiaoyuan Gao

1 style

Xiaoyuan Gao (She/Her) is a Rotterdam-based freelance graphic designer, image-maker, type designer and the initiator of “notyourtype foundry”. In her practice, she loves experimenting with unconventional approaches to type design and typesetting. She sees type design (making custom characters into a font file) as making a tool for typing, just like a customised typewriter. She also enjoys creating visuals out of found images , which allows her to combine typography and imagery in playful ways.

If you'd like to support Xiaoyuan in operating the notyourtypefoundry, offering technical supports to FLINTA designers in their type design work, and contributions to the open-source typefaces pool, please consider making a donation via This PayPal Link. Thank you! <3

Contact Xiaoyuan Gao

Sizes preview

150px

- notRegular

commonSans

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- notRegular

the ok thing to do on sunday afternoon is to toddle in the zoo

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- notRegular

Now that life is trouble free cause I’m finally on T.V. (Joanna Wang)

200px

- notRegular (ss02)

TELEPHONE

30px

- notRegular (ss02)

". . . we saw—ah! it was beautiful—a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson-covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower of glass drops hanging in silver chains from the centre, and shimmering with little soft tapers"

80px

- notRegular (ss01)

edward, had you ever thought that the end of the world would come before 20.9.01?

400px

- notRegular (ss01)

cheers

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- notRegular

Song Dynasty Sad Boy Can Use More Ice Cream Tonight from my little airport :3

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The lazy dogs jumped over the quick brown fox. pASSIVE sILENCE dIAMONDS gIVEN sWEET sWEET nOISE bAD cATS cOOL cATS sMOOTH cATS! 1234567890⚠◕◡◦⛄☁

120px

- notRegular

“I got charmed at Coachella”

100px

- notRegular (ss02)

Tiramisu Cake

100px

- notRegular (ss02)

You teach me French But I cannot speak well You said "je pense à toi" But I said "Japan ShíGuā"

60px

- notRegular (ss01)

when the party is over, i miss my dear porn star (2009)

60px

- notRegular (ss01)

A Room of One’s Own

20px

- notRegular (ss01)

“Here then was I (call me Mary Beton, Mary Seton, Mary Carmichael or by any name you please--it is not a matter of any importance) sitting on the banks of a river a week or two ago in fine October weather, lost in thought. That collar I have spoken of, women and fiction, the need of coming to some conclusion on a subject that raises all sorts of prejudices and passions, bowed my head to the ground. To the right and left bushes of some sort, golden and crimson, glowed with the colour, even it seemed burnt with the heat, of fire. On the further bank the willows wept in perpetual lamentation, their hair about their shoulders. The river reflected whatever it chose of sky and bridge and burning tree, and when the undergraduate had oared his boat through the reflections they closed again, completely, as if he had never been. There one might have sat the clock round lost in thought. Thought--to call it by a prouder name than it deserved--had let its line down into the stream. It swayed, minute after minute, hither and thither among the reflections and the weeds, letting the water lift it and sink it until--you know the little tug--the sudden conglomeration of an idea at the end of one's line: and then the cautious hauling of it in, and the careful laying of it out? Alas, laid on the grass how small, how insignificant this thought of mine looked; the sort of fish that a good fisherman puts back into the water so that it may grow fatter and be one day worth cooking and eating. I will not trouble you with that thought now, though if you look carefully you may find it for yourselves in the course of what I am going to say.” Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own.