editorial

Crimson Text and Inter font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Stories worth reading slowly

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 Inter, while the headline uses Crimson Text. 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: Crimson Text's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Inter's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Inter ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HCrimson Text

Crimson Text is a free serif typeface designed by Sebastian Kosch, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 3 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for Crimson Text →

BInter

Inter is a free sans serif typeface designed by Rasmus Andersson, added to Google Fonts in 2020. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with optical size and weight axes.

More pairings for Inter →

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

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

More pairings with Crimson Text

Make something people love

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

HCrimson TextBLatoeditorial→

A classic contrast: Crimson Text's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Lato'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.

HCrimson TextBOpen Sanseditorial→

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

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HRobotoBCrimson Textmoderneditorial→

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

More pairings with Inter

Frequently asked questions

Do Crimson Text and Inter go well together?

A classic contrast: Crimson Text's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Inter's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Inter ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

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

Are Crimson Text and Inter free?

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