editorial

Cinzel and Almarai font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
The art of saying less

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 Almarai, while the headline uses Cinzel. 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 classic contrast: Cinzel's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Almarai's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Almarai stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

HCinzel

Cinzel is a free serif typeface designed by Natanael Gama, added to Google Fonts in 2012. It comes in 6 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Cinzel →

BAlmarai

Almarai is a free sans serif typeface designed by Boutros Fonts and Mourad Boutros, added to Google Fonts in 2019. It comes in 4 weights.

More pairings for Almarai →

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=Cinzel:wght@700&family=Almarai:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Cinzel', serif;
  font-weight: 700;
}

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

More pairings with Cinzel

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HCinzelBPlus Jakarta Sanseditorial→

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

Design is how it works

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

HCinzelBRoboto Condensededitorial→

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

More pairings with Almarai

Design is how it works

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

HCormorant GaramondBAlmaraieditorial→

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

The art of saying less

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

HRoboto SlabBAlmaraifriendly→

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

The future of small business

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

HAlmaraiBNewsreadermoderneditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Cinzel and Almarai go well together?

A classic contrast: Cinzel's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Almarai's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Almarai stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Cinzel for headings at weight 700, and Almarai for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Cinzel and Almarai free?

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