Font Pairing Formulas

You’ve spent hours scrolling through Google Fonts, and somehow your website still looks… off. I get it. I’ve lost entire afternoons on Creative Market, clicked through every font in Canva, only to realize the one I like doesn’t make sense with anything else. When your fonts aren’t right, your whole website just feels wrong.

The good news? Font pairing is one of the fastest ways to make your site look professional. And you don’t need to be a designer to get it right. By the end of this, you’ll have five formulas you can use today.

Quick Font Basics

Let’s get on the same page first. A typeface is the overall design of the letters.  A font is a specific style within that design. Typography is how you arrange all the letters together. 

There are four main categories of typeface you need to know:

Serif fonts have little feet at the end of letters. Think Times New Roman. They feel classic and trustworthy.

Sans serif fonts are clean, no decorative bits. Like Arial. They’re modern and easy to read.

Script fonts look like cursive or handwriting. They’re elegant but hard to read in long chunks, so use them sparingly.

Display fonts are bold and stylized. Great for headlines, terrible for paragraphs.

When you’re mixing typefaces, contrast is good, but too much contrast is chaotic. You need enough difference to create visual interest, but not so much that it feels all over the place.

It’s ideal to mix 2-3 fonts or typefaces together, more than that and you’ve entered the chaos zone. 

Formula #1: Classic Serif + Sans Serif

The Pairing: Playfair Display SC, Playfair, Source Sans 3

This is the combo that always works. Serif for headings (classic, authoritative), sans serif for body text (clean, readable). It’s perfect if you need to look established but approachable.

How to use it:

• Title: Playfair Display SC
• Heading: Playfair
• Subheading: Playfair Italic
• Body: Source Sans 3

Use serif for headings to grab attention, sans serif for body text for ease of reading.

Formula #2: Elegant Script + Simple Sans Serif

The Pairing: Sacramento, Josefin Sans

Script adds personality, sans serif keeps it readable. This works great for anything that needs to feel elegant but still professional.

How to use it:

• Title: Sacramento
• Heading: Josefin Sans
• Subheading: Josefin Sans Light
• Body: Josefin Sans

Only use script for main headings or your logo. Never for body text. And never in all caps, it’s near impossible to read.

Also, be careful with script fonts. While they add a lot of personality, they can look dated quickly. 

Formula #3: Bold Modern (Two Sans Serifs)

The Pairing: Oswald Bold, Jost

You can absolutely pair two sans serifs. Just use weight and style to create contrast instead of mixing font types. This gives you a really clean, modern look.

How to use it:

• Title: Oswald Bold
• Heading: Jost Medium
• Subheading: Jost Light
• Body: Jost Normal

Works great for modern brands, anyone going for a clean, minimalist vibe.

Make sure one font is way bolder than the other. If they’re too similar, you could be entering the chaos zone. 

Formula #4: Editorial Serif Pair

The Pairing: Besley, Crimson Text

Pairing two serifs? Yes, please! But it’s tricky. You need one decorative serif and one simple serif. This combo feels literary and sophisticated.

How to use it:

• Title: Besley Black
• Heading: Crimson Text
• Subheading: Besley Medium Italic
• Body: Crimson Text

Use the decorative serif (Besley) only for big headings. The simpler one (Crimson Text) handles everything else. And make your size differences really obvious.

Two serifs can be difficult to pull off. But when it works, it’s beautiful.

Formula #5: Statement Display + Neutral Foundation

The Pairing: Bebas Neue, Alata

Display fonts are your personality move. They’re bold and memorable. Pair them with something neutral so everything else stays readable. Great for bold, clean brands, anyone who wants to stand out.

How to use it:

• Title: Bebas Neue
• Heading: Alata
• Subheading: Bebas Neue
• Body: Alata

Use display fonts only for hero headings or special callouts. A little goes a long way.

Technical Stuff for Showit

Showit gives you access to the entire Google Fonts library (1,500+ fonts). In addition to these, you can also add custom fonts that you have licensing to use. Learn more about how to add fonts and typefaces here.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t use more than 3 fonts. It’s too much.
• Don’t pair fonts that look too similar. You’re creating confusion, not hierarchy.
• Don’t use script for body text. 
• Don’t prioritize style over readability. If people can’t read it, it doesn’t matter how it looks.
• Be sure to test on mobile. What works on your laptop might not look so great on a phone.

Just Start Experimenting

Good font pairing is really just about contrast, hierarchy, and knowing when to stop. Pick one of these formulas and try it out. Adjust the sizes, play with the weights, see what feels right for your brand.

These formulas work. I’ve used them, and they’ll work for you too.