This guide shows you five easy ways* to create a failsafe font combination every time, and suggest appropriate ways to use each font pairing style. Read on to find your font dream team…

* These five font pairings are based on using one font for the headline (the main title on your page) and another font for the body text (the longer paragraphs which make up the bulk of content on your page). If you want to add sub-headings or pull-out quotes setting text in an italic weight is always a wise move, or try using a bold or condensed version of your body text font to add contrast while keeping the typography looking polished.

1. Sans Serif Headline + Serif Body Text

This is the most common font pairing style designers will use when they want to make their typography look instantly more polished and professional. Why does this font pairing work so well? Firstly, the pairing has high contrast, which creates interest and stimulates the eye. Secondly, this pairing feels at once both classic and contemporary, which makes it suitable for all sorts of layouts. Finally, bookish serifs tend to be easy to read, while sans serifs add a more modern, sophisticated flourish, making it a pairing that’s both functional and stylish.

Within this font pairing style, you’ll find that certain sans serifs look better teamed with particular serifs. A good starting point is to decide on a headline sans serif that you really love, and then rotate the serif body text through several options until you find the font that looks just right.

One of our favourite font pairings is headlines set in Bebas Neue, with body text set in Caslon. A sub-heading set in Adobe Caslon Pro Italic adds the perfect finishing touch.

2. Headline + Body Text Fonts From the Same Font Family

Most fonts belong to a typeface family—a group of fonts which vary in weight (e.g. bold, italic, book etc) but ultimately have the same base design. A family may also include more stylised variations of the original roman weight, such as condensed, outlined and expanded.

Some font families contain as few as three fonts, while others might extend to include dozens of fonts. These larger font families are known as ‘superfamilies’.

Pairing two fonts taken from either the same family or superfamily is a quick route to creating a design that feels pulled-together and elegant. The success of this sort of pairing rests on the shared similarities between the chosen fonts, rather than contrast, which has a calming effect on the eye. For layouts which require a more traditional, formal or conservative style, this sort of font pairing is the perfect choice.

That’s not to say that sourcing two fonts from the same family needs to be dull. In fact the vast range of font styles you can track down within a superfamily can give you plenty of variation, to keep your design looking playful. We love the combination of a Roboto Slab headline with Roboto body text. These fonts have very different weights but share the same rounded-geometric form.

3. Headline + Body Text Fonts Which Share the Same Mood

All fonts have a personality, whether it’s the bouncy optimism of a rounded sans serif or the serious conservatism of a traditional serif. Each font brings its own personality to a design, helping to give the whole layout a certain mood or vibe.

Professional typographers call this evasive sense of mood that a group of fonts share a ‘sub-category’. Some serif fonts, such as Bembo and Garamond, fall into the Old Style sub-category, with these fonts tending to have an old-fashioned, dignified personality. These work well paired with Humanist sans serifs like Frutiger and Gill Sans, because these too have an old-fashioned, serious mood.

Here a Garamond headline and sub-heading makes a great team alongside Gill Sans body text.

Transitional serifs have a more modern mood than Old Style typefaces, which makes them a suitable pairing for Geometric or Rounded sans serifs, like Futura and Avenir. Here, a headline set in Mrs. Eaves is stylishly offset by Futura body text.

Modern serifs, such as Didot and Bodoni, have a classic elegance but feel more fun and fashionable than their Old Style relatives. Because they are more contemporary in style, they team best with Geometric sans serifs.

In this example, Bodoni and Open Sans make for an elegant font pairing.

4. Display Headline + Humanist or Transitional Body Text

You don’t always need to rely on blowing your headline up to large size to make an impact. Display or Headline fonts are specially designed to make text really shout for attention. These heavily stylised or chunky display fonts, such as FF Scala and Eczar, look fantastic paired with Humanist or Transitional body text, whether in serif or sans serif styles.

If you’re putting together a more design-forward layout which needs to grab a viewer’s attention, such as a poster or magazine cover, this font pairing won’t fail to turn heads, and it looks super-stylish too.

Here a headline set in Scala Sans Black is the perfect foil to the simple charms of Gentium Basic.

5. Round Sans Serif Headline + Old-Style Serif Body Text

Rounded fonts are youthful, and used alone give an almost childlike quality to a design. Pairing a rounded sans serif headline, like Woodford Bourne or Quicksand with more traditional serif body text exaggerates further the contrast that we looked at with the serif/sans serif font pairing at the start of the article.

This is a more space-age version of that pairing rule, giving layouts a futuristic spin that feels clean and cutting-edge. In this example the exaggerated tracking of Quicksand as the headline makes the ultimate contrast with neat and pulled-together Garamond.

Still feeling overwhelmed with the sheer choice of fonts on the web? Check out our pick of the best fonts for every purpose and budget.

The post The Beginner’s Guide to Font Pairing appeared first on InDesignSkills.

Scroll through to discover our pick of the best serifs and sans serifs for your project. And the best part? All of them are free to download!

SERIFS 

Ahellya

Elegant and graphic, with a slightly Art Deco twist. Just look at those gorgeous numbers—perfect for making your phone number look more interesting and stylish. A fantastic choice for minimal, elegant business cards.

Atzur

Looking for a classic serif with a little edge? Atzur borrows from ancient humanist typefaces and 1960s type styles to create a distinctly modern serif.

Bitter ht

A little bit slab and chunky, this typeface will make your CV look punchy and masculine.

Gotu

Professional with a twist, this will look just as good on headers as it will in body text. Set in a Rich Black color swatch for maximum impact.

Kraskario

A very subtly contemporary serif, this has an uber-professional style that would suit more formal professional stationery. Architects, lawyers and high-end agencies, look this way.

Lemour Serif

Borrowing from classic serifs like Times New Roman and Caslon, this typeface has a beautifully legible style that’s extremely versatile. Choose if you’re looking for something more traditional than cutting-edge.

Lora

Some of the most versatile professional fonts will have a more conservative regular weight that prioritises legibility, and a more unique bold weight to bring interest to headers. Lora does just that, which makes it a perfect all-round candidate.

SANS SERIFS 

Aller

If you want to use a sans serif font on your business cards or resume, you have to find a type style that has a slightly formal edge. Anything too rounded, spaced out or novel will risk throwing your stationery into unprofessional territory. Strike the balance right and you can end up with professional designs that look ultra-modern and forward-thinking. Aller is a lovely pick, with just the right dosage of graphic formality and pleasing curves.

Jura

Jura really does blur the lines between serif and sans serif, but we think its modern, clean design just about nudges it into the sans serif category. If you’re looking for a traditional style that looks completely modern and minimal, this is the typeface to choose.

Lato

Borrowing from Greek and Roman type styles, this font is a more informal and accessible style for using on your resume. That curvy ‘a’ is so friendly, who could refuse you an interview?!

Proza Libre

A very contemporary take on classical type styles, Proza Libre has a calligraphic look that will look simply beautiful on business cards and letterheads.

Sen

Want to prioritise legibility and clarity over anything else? Sen is the perfect choice, and has a fresh and quirky style that’s brimming with personality.

Sofia Pro

Sofia Pro has been an InDesignSkills’ team favorite for a while now, due to its simple, legible beauty. We love the quirkiness of the dropped baseline of the numbers and the completely minimal style of both the lower- and uppercase characters.

Three

Looking for something a little more playful? This typeface is inspired by Saul Bass type styles and has a distinctly 1960s feel. The slightly stretched look of the characters gives the font a compressed design which will add a fun edge to business cards and CVs. Perfect for creative freelancers or informal design agencies.

Still on the hunt for the perfect font for your next project? Discover our pick of the best fonts for magazine design and the loveliest typefaces for book covers. Or get your next lightbulb moment as you browse thousands of inspiring design examples.

The post Beautiful Free Fonts for Business Cards & Resumés appeared first on InDesignSkills.

The best thing about them? They’re hiding inside some of your favorite fonts. Discover where you can find cool (and often free!) glyph sets…

 1. Adobe Caslon Pro 

Who knew there were so many gorgeous glyphs hiding away in one of our best-loved typefaces? These intellectual, vintage-style graphics would be perfect for adding to book page designs.

Adobe Caslon Pro:

2. Veneer Extras

These grungy, stamp-style glyphs will add a perfect hip-vintage twist to your print designs.

Veneer Extras (FREE):

3. IM Fell Flowers

Looking for medieval-style romance? You’ve found the perfect glyph font! These two sets of glyphs provide you with stylish, vintage-inspired floral borders and icons.

IM Fell Flowers I (FREE):

IM Fell Flowers 2 (FREE):

4. Floralia

Floral glyphs will always look feminine and elegant, and are ideal for wedding stationery.

Floralia (FREE):

5. Rhomus Omnilots

Stars, stars…and more stars. Add a celestial edge to your designs with these stylish glyphs.

Rhomus Omnilots (FREE):

6. Adobe Wood Type Ornaments

A set of classic-inspired glyphs from Adobe, including typography elements, borders and crests.

Adobe Wood Type Ornaments:

7. Nymphette

An extremely versatile set of scroll elements, borders and dividers, with an elegant, ornate look.

Nymphette (FREE):

8. Davys

Quirky, woodcut-style glyph graphics that would look great on book interiors.

Davys (FREE):

9. Zapf Dingbats

No-fuss, simple symbol glyphs with a clean, modern design. Great for digital projects or print designs that have a more contemporary style.

Zapf Dingbats:

10. Victorian Free Ornaments

These historical-inspired glyph sets provide beautiful, ornate graphics for adding a touch of Victorian grandeur to borders and dividers.

Victorian Free Ornaments (FREE):

Victorian Free Ornaments Two (FREE):

11. Adhesive Nr. Seven

These grunge-style ribbons and banners look great set behind type on designs that are looking for a bit of added detail. Try them out on menus, posters or flyers.

Adhesive Nr. Seven (FREE):

Can’t get enough typographic inspiration? Discover some of the best fonts for magazine and book design. Or take a tour of our Inspiration page to get your creative juices flowing.

The post Typography Secrets: Fonts with the Best Glyphs appeared first on InDesignSkills.

Read on to discover our selection of the best free and classic typefaces whose ampersands are the star of the show…

1. Classic Italic Ampersands 

Looking for elegance, formality and a touch of romance? These ampersands are classically beautiful, and will look fantastic adorning wedding invites, book covers or business cards (the InDesignSkills team’s personal favorite is the Fournier Italic ampersand)…

Adobe Caslon Pro Italic ampersand:

IM FELL French Canon PRO Italic ampersand (FREE):

Goudy Modern MT Std Italic ampersand:

Top pick – Fournier MT Italic ampersand:

2. Modern Sans Serif Ampersands

On the hunt for something a bit different—more clean, more contemporary? These sans serif ampersands might cut the mustard.

Note of caution: when using a contemporary-style ampersand, make sure that the glyph is still instantly recognizable as such—when a typeface tries to be different it can look too abstract for some purposes.

Lane Narrow ampersand (FREE):

Top pick – Museo Sans Rounded ampersand:

Sofia Pro Light ampersand (FREE):

Nikaia ampersand (FREE):

Molot ampersand (FREE):

3. Traditional Ampersands

Sometimes you just need an ampersand that looks traditional, respectable and sturdy—these guys do just that. If you want something that will be universally recognized and suit all manner of purposes, take one of these for a spin…

Baskerville ampersand:

Alegreya ampersand (FREE):

Top pick – Sorts Mill Goudy ampersand (FREE):

Adobe Garamond Pro ampersand:

 4. Script Ampersands

For an ultra-romantic style, look to flowing script typefaces for some of the most beautiful, French-inspired ampersands (our top pick is the Kuenstler Script ampersand)…

Linotype Zapfino ampersand:

Mutlu ampersand (FREE):

Great Vibes ampersand (FREE):

Top pick – Kuenstler Script ampersand:

Looking for more typographic inspiration? Check out our pick of the best fonts for magazines and books. Or delve into our Inspiration page to discover lightbulb ideas for your design projects.

The post Typography Secrets: Fonts with the Best Ampersands appeared first on InDesignSkills.

1. If you’re designing a Foodie magazine…

Foodie magazines need to look tactile and sensual. Appropriate use of colour, images and typography can work together to create layouts that look good enough to eat.

To give your designs a homely look, like these covers from New Zealand foodie magazine dish, try the delectable Mrs Eaves or Berylium, as a more rustic alternative (and it’s also free to download!).

2. If you’re designing a Fashion or Lifestyle magazine…

High-end magazines all share one thing in common – they love a beautiful serif font. It makes fashion titles look elegant, timeless and luxurious. Harper’s Bazaar uses Didot, a typeface which has become synonymous with the magazine. For a less costly alternative (much less costly – it’s free!) take Theano Didot for a spin.

To imitate the very classy, minimal look used by Interview magazine, try De Vinne or Bodoni.

That’s not to say that all fashion magazines follow the same formula. In this example layout from Marie Claire, a blown-up serif character provides a gorgeous background for no-fuss sans serif text. Try Fuller Sans DT Extra Light for a similar effect, or the free font District Thin.

Fashion and lifestyle titles for men use similar typefaces, but are often more experimental with headers and titles, to give the titles more edgy appeal.

Download Ano to imitate the quirky font used for the subtitles at the bottom of this cover for AnOtherMan magazine.

3. If you’re designing a Commentary or Journalism magazine…

More formal magazines covering business, political or social commentary, or human interest stories, use typefaces that communicate a sense of authority and impact. Many contemporary newspapers use similar typographic styles too.

For a typeface that looks both serious and cutting-edge, you can’t go wrong with a strong sans serif. Choose one with versatility that can be used equally effectively across slab headings, italic quotations and smaller body text. Bloomberg Businessweek has used Neue Haas Grotesk since 2010. But you can also achieve a similar effect with the ever-popular Helvetica.

 Time uses a version of Times New Roman for the magazine title, which is classic and linked to an authoritative tradition of use across broadsheet newspapers.

Be inspired by Time and mix up traditional serif typefaces with more modern serifs and sans serifs. You can see on the cover here that there are two further fonts in use, a thin sans serif for the running header at the top (try out any sans serif font with a light weight, or Verb Cond Extra Light for a closer match) and an elegant serif typeface for the article summary (try Proforma, Elena or FF Scala).

4. If you’re designing a Music magazine…

One option for designing a music magazine is to adapt your typeface(s) to the music genre you’ll be covering in your magazine. Pick an elegant serif for a classical music title, or experiment with digital-inspired styles for an electronic music title. Try out Audimat which is free to download.

Founded in 1967, Rolling Stone has stayed true to a rock-n-roll aesthetic, and still maintains a nostalgic typographic style in spite of a couple of moves to update the title’s look in recent years. Mimic the timeless look of the Rolling Stone logo with Royal Acidbath, which is free for personal use.

Use Parkinson Roman for body text, a classic serif which gives a nod to 1960s type styles.

For more help choosing the right fonts, have a read of our best book cover fonts article. Or if any fonts you love to use for magazine design weren’t mentioned here – share them with us in the comments below! 

Craving more of the same? Don’t worry, we’ve got more magazine design inspiration here.

Learn how to make your own magazine with our easy 2-part tutorial.

The post Typography: Perfect Fonts for Magazines appeared first on InDesignSkills.