Looking for new serif and sans serif pairings? In this article, you'll find the best font combinations.
Fonts are a key component of communicating a message. Serif and sans serif fonts are the most well-known groups of typefaces. Learn how to combine serif and sans serif fonts for your next project. Today, we'll go through some of the best examples of fonts that pair well together.
Unlimited Sans Serif and Serif Pairings on Envato Elements
If you're looking for inspiration or examples of the best font pairs, be sure to check out Envato Elements. Their growing library includes awesome font family combinations and fonts that pair well together. You can also find other assets like photos, graphic templates, and videos.
How to Combine Serif and Sans Serif Fonts
Serif fonts have always been used for printing because of their legibility. Nowadays, we find more experimental serif fonts, so if you're designing for long-form text, be sure to keep good legibility in mind. Since the technology boom, sans serif fonts have been the number one choice for screen projects. In the last few years, we've seen many great fonts for legibility, both serif and sans serif.
If you're looking at mixing serif and sans serif, here are some key suggestions:
- Keep in mind which you want to use as a headline and which as copy. You can usually get away with using something more 'out there' for display.
- Typefaces have personalities. Be sure to choose fonts that have a similar mood or are inspired by a similar era.
- Look out for weight contrasts between the serif and sans serif pairings.
- Avoid sans serif and serif font combinations that are too wild. Try to keep one of the fonts simple or your design can look visually disparate.
1. Love Story Font (OTF, TTF) and Singo (OTF, TTF, WOFF)
Let's take a look at our first sans serif font pairing: Love Story Font is a beautiful modern font that's elegant and feminine. The font includes an italic version that is perfect for editorial design. Singo is a condensed sans serif that complements and contrasts with the width of Love Story.
2. Noorge Karlos (OTF, WOFF) and Ezra (OTF)
Noordge Karlos is a classy display serif that's funky and fun. It includes many glyphs that can help you make an editorial design piece and brand interesting. Ezra Sans is a slightly wide modern sans serif. It's geometric and perfect for those small details that need to be legible. It's one of the coolest sans serif font pairings!
3. Regas (OTF, WOFF) and Buleten (OTF, TTF)
Regas and Buleten make for one of the best font combos! Regas is a contemporary display serif with a small contrast between thick and thin strokes. The height, the different width on the characters and its thinness make this font elegant and suitable for fashion editorials. Here, it's paired with Buleten, a sans serif with smooth curves. Each character includes a fun dot as a glyph. These two versatile fonts are elegant font combinations.
4. Resgak (OTF, WOFF) and Fraset (OTF, TTF)
Another pair of fonts that pair well together are Resgak and Fraset. This contemporary serif features chunky serifs, giving it a powerful and strong personality. The pack contains many weights that allow you to find one suitable for text and heavier weights for headlines. The perfect contrast is Fraset, a sans serif with fun characters and awesome ligatures. Try elegant font combinations like this one for your next project!
5. Munale Loird (OTF) and Downey Powerful (OTF)
Mixing serif and sans serif can result in an incredible design! Munale Loird is a minimal and chic serif font. Perfect for displaying at large sizes in editorial design or social media. Downey is an all-caps sans serif that's wider than normal sans serifs. This is a great font to pair with a serif, and there's also an outline version of it.
6. Bugaki Font (OTF, WOFF) and Henju (OTF)
This rounded serif font is perfect for those vintage style projects. The Bugaki Font is elegant and great for branding. Here, it's paired with Henju, a variable font that lets you customize the width and weight. These two versatile fonts are a sophisticated font pairing and a good example of sans serif font pairings!
7. Vanio (OTF) and Ageo (OTF)
Let's take a look at the next serif font pairing: Ageo is a geometric sans serif font with eight different weights, giving you plenty to choose from. Vanio is a wedge serif whose main feature is legibility. This sans serif and serif combination is a great combo for corporate branding.
8. Brave Old (OTF) and Figerona (OTF)
Brave Old is a multifunctional serif font with many swashes. It's inspired by retro fonts from the 70s and comes with multiple weights. The best font pair is Figerona, a modern display sans serif that contrasts with the roundedness of Brave Old. This serif and sans serif font combination is beautiful and dynamic.
9. Native txt (OTF, WOFF) and RNS Sanz (OTF, TTF, WOFF, WOFF2, EOT)
If you're looking for elegant font combinations, take a look at this one: Native txt features a large x-height, perfect for reading. It's a contemporary serif that needs to be paired with another modern font. RNS Sanz is neutral, clean, and functional. With seven weights, this serif and sans serif pairing can create perfect designs.
10. Gilvestre (OTF, WOFF) and Mollen (OTF)
Another example of fonts that pair well together is Gilvestre and Mollen. Gilvestre brings a luxurious and elegant feel, while Mollen is designed to be functional with technological details. These two fonts can make a great skincare brand or editorial piece—one of the best font pairs out there!
11. Baschone (OTF) and Manford (OTF, TTF)
Sans serif font pairings only work if both fonts are completely different. That's the case for this sophisticated font pairing, Baschone and Manford. Baschone is a vintage and old style serif that brings a lot of personality, while Manford is contemporary with hints of 70s vintage.
12. Bookinnes (OTF, TTF, WOFF) and Syabil (OTF)
Syabil is one of the cleanest fonts out there. It was crafted with the intention of legibility both on screen and in print. Bookinnes is very distinct, so this modern serif font can add a creative flair to any project. No doubt, it's one of the most elegant font combinations you can make.
13. Restora Font (OTF) and Proda (OTF)
Looking for the best font combos for a print design? The Restora Font has a high contrast between thick and thin strokes, and it's a mix of old-style serifs and sharp serifs. This versatile font can mix with anything, but to make it a sophisticated font pairing, I chose Proda Sans: a humanist style sans serif that's based on geometric shapes of the 20th century. It's a great balance between old and new.
14. Rosemode (OTF, WOFF) and Bizmo (OTF)
Rosemode is a luxurious font based on Roman shapes. To offset the traditional personality, here it's paired with Bizmo. This display sans serif is wide and suitable for use in large settings. Serif font pairings like this one really stand out!
15. Awaken (TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2) and Bermont (OTF, TTF)
Awaken is a neat font that features swashes on some characters and is suitable for use on wedding invitations. Bermont is an all-caps font with bold weights. This serif and sans serif font pairing is great for movie titles, book titles, and social media.
16. Shallot (OTF) and Altone (OTF, TTF)
Shallot mixes calligraphic strokes and transitional serif styles. The high contrast between the strokes and wide characters make it modern. Altone is a conventional, geometric sans serif based on the Bauhaus style. This sans serif and serif font combination is classic, which makes it one of the best font combinations!
Gorgeous is a modern serif font that's suitable for fashion editorials. The thin serifs make it look elegant and tall. Handmade Wanderlust is a hand-drawn sans serif that's slightly uneven. If you need sans serif font pairings for an editorial piece, this is a great choice.
18. Quixote (OTF, TTF, WOFF) and RNS Sisma (OTF, WOFF)
Mixing serif and sans serif can be really cool if you use these fonts. Artifex CF is a text-friendly serif font designed with legibility in mind. The smooth serifs and elegant italics allow for text to flow easily. Here, it's paired with RNS Sisma, great for screen and print with its wide range of weights.
19. Airif (OTF) and Candice (OTF, WOFF)
Another set of fonts that complement each other is Candice and Addington, one of the best font combinations. This sophisticated font pairing can work for screen or print. The serif font is beautiful and practical, and it's very versatile, with a mix of calligraphy and traditional serifs. Candice is a sans serif font that's bold and expanded. This mix of serif and sans serif is modern and eye-catching.
That's It!
In this article, you learned how to combine serif and sans serif fonts. With these examples of fonts that work well together, you'll be able to design the most creative posters and branding. This mix of serif and sans serif fonts is essential in any designer's toolbox.
If you're looking for inspiration or sophisticated font pairings, be sure to check out Envato Elements. Their growing library includes fonts that complement each other and serif and sans serif pairings. You can also find other assets like add-ons, presentation templates, and stock video. You might also be interested in the following articles:
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