modern · editorial

Abel and Lora font pairing

Sans Serif headings with a serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Make something people love

Good pairings feel inevitable. Great ones set the tone before a single word is read.

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A strong pairing creates clear hierarchy while feeling like one consistent voice across every page. This paragraph is set in Lora, while the headline uses Abel. Numbers like 0123456789, punctuation “quotes” — and ampersands & — reveal a lot about how two typefaces get along.

Contrast, then harmony

Look for contrast in structure and harmony in proportion: similar x-heights, compatible widths and a shared sense of rhythm. Bold text and italic text should feel natural, too.

Why this pairing works

A modern twist on the classic: Abel keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Lora's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Lora stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

HAbel

Abel is a free sans serif typeface designed by MADType, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 1 weight.

More pairings for Abel →

BLora

Lora is a free serif typeface designed by Cyreal, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 4 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Lora →

Use this pairing on your website

HTML — paste in <head>
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Abel:wght@400&family=Lora:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Abel', sans-serif;
  font-weight: 400;
}

body {
  font-family: 'Lora', serif;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.6;
}

More pairings with Abel

Stories worth reading slowly

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HAbelBPlayfair Displaymoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: Abel keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Playfair Display's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

Make something people love

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HAbelBSource Serif 4moderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: Abel keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Source Serif 4's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

Design is how it works

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HAbelBMontserratmodern→

Two sans serifs can work when they differ in structure: Abel carries the headings, Montserrat handles text, and hierarchy comes from weight and size.

More pairings with Lora

The art of saying less

Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.

HLoraBGoogle Sanseditorial→

A classic contrast: Lora's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Google Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Frequently asked questions

Do Abel and Lora go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: Abel keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Lora's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Lora stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Abel for headings at weight 400, and Lora for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Abel and Lora free?

Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.