27 February 2023

What is the font of the Star Wars title crawl called?

The Star Wars crawl is the iconic opening sequence that appears at the beginning of each Star Wars film, starting with the original film in 1977. The crawl consists of yellow text scrolling up the screen against a starry background, accompanied by John Williams' iconic theme music.

The crawl typically begins with the phrase "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." followed by a brief summary of the story leading up to the start of the film. The text is written in all capital letters and is divided into three distinct parts: the main title, the subtitle, and the body of the crawl.

The font used for the Star Wars title crawl is called "Univers". It is a modern, sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954. Univers was chosen by the Star Wars creator, George Lucas, for its clean, simple design that made it easy to read against the starry background.

star wars crawl text font

The original Star Wars film, released in 1977, used Univers 55 Roman for the title crawl. However, for the prequel trilogy released in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a modified version of the font called "Star Jedi" was used. This version had more angular and condensed letters to give it a more futuristic and sci-fi feel.

For the sequel trilogy released in 2015 and beyond, a new modified version of Univers called "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was created specifically for the films. This version has slightly thinner letters and a more elongated design to give it a more elegant and refined appearance.

font star wars filming

The Star Wars crawl is often credited with revolutionizing the way films begin, as it creates a sense of excitement and anticipation for the audience before the movie even begins. It has become an iconic part of the Star Wars franchise and is instantly recognizable to fans around the world.
Jimmy Jangles

Founder & Editor •  |  @JimmyJangles

Jimmy Jangles is an independent science fiction analyst and media critic based in New Zealand. He founded The Astromech to dig into the themes, mythology, and ideas behind the stories that shape how we imagine the future - from Star Wars and Dune to Alien, Star Trek, and beyond. He also runs How to Home Brew Beers.

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