Bitter and Zen Kaku Gothic New font pairing
Serif headings with a sans serif body.
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 Zen Kaku Gothic New, while the headline uses Bitter. Numbers like 0123456789, punctuation “quotes” — and ampersands & — reveal a lot about how two typefaces get along.
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 classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Zen Kaku Gothic New's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Zen Kaku Gothic New stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.
HBitter
Bitter is a free serif typeface designed by Sol Matas, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.
More pairings for Bitter →BZen Kaku Gothic New
Zen Kaku Gothic New is a free sans serif typeface designed by Yoshimichi Ohira, added to Google Fonts in 2021. It comes in 5 weights.
More pairings for Zen Kaku Gothic New →Use this pairing on your website
<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=Bitter:wght@700&family=Zen+Kaku+Gothic+New:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Bitter', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'Zen Kaku Gothic New', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.6;
}More pairings with Bitter
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Roboto's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Nunito Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Inter's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
More pairings with Zen Kaku Gothic New
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Arvo's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Zen Kaku Gothic New's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Cormorant Garamond's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Zen Kaku Gothic New's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A modern twist on the classic: Zen Kaku Gothic New keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Roboto Slab's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.
Frequently asked questions
Do Bitter and Zen Kaku Gothic New go well together?
A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Zen Kaku Gothic New's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Zen Kaku Gothic New stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.
Which font should be used for headings?
Use Bitter for headings at weight 700, and Zen Kaku Gothic New for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Bitter and Zen Kaku Gothic New free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.