Morris Fuller Benton于1903年至1912年为American Type Founders Company设计了Franklin Gothic。
正如早期无衬线字体在英国被称为“grotesque”、在德国被称为“grotesk”，他们在美国被称为“gothic”。到20世纪初，北美也已经有很多“gothic”字体，但Benton的设计可能受到了德国流行的“grotesk”字体的影响，比如Basic Commercial，或者D. Stempel AG's Reform。Franklin Gothic可能是以Benjamin Franklin的名字命名的; 然而，这个设计与那位美国早期著名的印刷商和政治家没有任何历史关系。Benton是一位多产的设计师，他还设计了其他几种无衬线字体，包括Alternate Gothic, Lightline Gothic 以及 News Gothic。事实上，News Gothic和Lightline Gothic可以看作是Franklin Gothic较细的版本，并且可以在设计中一起使用。
ITC Franklin Gothic是一套以Benton作品为基础的大型字体，由两位技艺精湛的工匠复刻扩展而成。1980年，Victor Caruso重新绘制了Franklin Gothic的原作，并设计了几个新的字重。1991年，David Berlow添加了几个窄体字重。这个长期以来备受欢迎的字体，包含几十个字重和风格，适合于从打印文件的窄角到强大的网站任何场景。
Franklin Gothic的特征包括设计为两层的字母 “a”和 “g”，微妙的笔划对比，而且当圆润的笔画并入字干时变细。整体上，这款字体显得黑而单调，给人一种强烈的现代感。Franklin Gothic至今仍是使用最广泛的无衬线体之一; 是报纸、广告、海报的理想之选。
另一个类似设计的家族是Trade Gothicand以及由David Berlow最新发布的ITC Franklin.

Morris Fuller Benton designed Franklin Gothic for the American Type Founders Company in 1903-1912.
Just as early types without serifs were known by the misnomer grotesque"""" in Britain, and """"grotesk"""" in Germany, they came to be described as """"gothic"""" in America. There were already many """"gothic"""" typefaces in North America by the early 1900s, but Benton's design was probably influenced by popular """"grotesks"""" from Germany, like Basic Commercial, or D. Stempel AG's Reform. Franklin Gothic may have been named for Benjamin Franklin; however, the design has no historical relationship to that famous early American printer and statesman. Benton was a prolific designer, and he designed several other sans serif fonts, including Alternate Gothic, Lightline Gothic and News Gothic. In fact, News Gothic and Lightline Gothic could be seen as lighter """"versions"""" of Franklin Gothic, and may be used together in the right design.
ITC Franklin Gothic is a large set of fonts based on Benton's work, with two skilled artisans behind the revival and expansion. In 1980, Victor Caruso re-drew the original Franklin Gothic and designed several more weights, and in 1991, David Berlow added several condensed and compressed weights. With dozens of weights and styles, this perennial favorite is ready for duty in any situation from tight corners on printed documents to powerhouse arenas on websites.
Recognizable aspects of Franklin Gothic include the two-story """"a"""" and """"g,"""" subtle stroke contrast, and the thinning of round strokes as they merge into stems. The type appears dark and monotone overall, giving it a robustly modern look. Franklin Gothic is still one of the most widely used sans serifs; it's a suitable choice for newspapers, advertising and posters.
Another family with a similarly useful design is Trade Gothicand the new released ITC Franklin from David Berlow..