Not so long ago, we only had a few font choices to play with on blogs and websites. Now, there are thousands of different styles of fonts available, so many in fact that it can be hard to choose!
Why use Google Fonts?
Google fonts are free for commercial use, so you can be sure you can use them legally on your blog or website. You can easily match them across your website, graphics and design programs. They are also supported on a wide range of devices, and across all major browsers.
Choosing the Right Fonts
The right fonts can really help set the tone of your website and get across your style and personality. Fonts come in all shapes and sizes; some are playful, others elegant and some look very contemporary. Imagine a website for a lawyer or other legal professional. You would expect the site to look trustworthy and professional. But if the fonts used were more whimsical or childlike (think comic sans!) it would look jarring and out of place.
Currently reading: Google Font Pairings You'll Love Click To TweetSo why would you want to use two fonts, not just one? You want your main text to be clear and easy to read. But this can look quite plain. By adding in a different font for heading and titles you create visual interest as well as providing a clear break between body and title text. Sticking to two fonts creates a cohesive look to your site as well as reducing load time when compared to having lots of fonts.
Google lets you search through fonts using filters to select different varieties and styles. Once you have narrowed down some options, try out combinations, with the heading font larger and then a block of smaller body text. You can just copy and paste sections from your blog into a Google Doc to do this.
Display Font Combinations
Having a big contrast between the heading and body font can provide extra impact and emphasis to your content. Choosing heading fonts like Abril Fatface or Berkshire Swan can add bags of personality to your writing, and create more of a statement. Pair with easy to read, clean body fonts like Source San Pro or Poppins to prevent the combination from becoming overwhelming.
Abril Fatface & Poppins
Berkshire Swash & Source Sans Pro
Changa One & Noto Sans
Grand Hotel & Comfortaa
Archivo Black & Quattrocentro Sans
Praise & Barlow
Suez & Lato
Modern Font Combinations
Modern fonts give a clean and easy to read feel, but it doesn’t mean that they have to be plain. Options like Poiret One are modern, but have a slight art deco feel. You can choose from heavier weight options like Fjalla One for a little more impact. Perfect for tech blogs or sites with a more minimal aesthetic.
Poiret One & Didact Gothic
Fjalla One & Roboto
Chivo & Maven Pro
Raleway & Roboto Condensed
Oswald & Mulish
Montserrat & Nunito
Anybody & Bellota Text
Feminine Fonts
Feminine fonts are often script style, but these can range from a classic serif style like Great Vibes to a more contemporary cursive like Sacramento. Look for clean, but friendly body fonts to pair with them, like Lora or Cabin. These more feminine fonts work well for bridal and wedding sites, as well as lifestyle and creative bloggers.
Great Vibes & Lora
Sacramento & Cabin
Dancing Script & PT Sans
Sue Ellen & Jaldi
Croissant One & Josefin Sans
Arima & Encode Sans
Cookie & Gantari
Elegant and Classic
For more serious topics or professional sites, classic fonts that look elegant and respectable are the way to go. But they don’t have to be boring. Libre Baskerville has a traditional copper plate feel, ideal for literary or vintage sites. Spectral is a beautiful font that looks elegant, but also feels fresh and modern.
Playfair Display & Arsenal
Cormorant Garamond & Libra Franklin
Libre Baskerville & Cormorant Infant
Spectral & Avenir
Cinzel & Gill sans
Gentian Book Plus & Fanwood Text
Jacques Francois & Scope One
There is always going to be a bit of trial and error when choosing fonts. And what works for one site in a niche, might not work for another. Ultimately, whatever fonts you choose for your blog have to fit with the style and mood of your content.
We have a PDF with another thirty Google font pairings available for Lyrical Host customers – head to the Resource Library to grab a copy.
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