editorial

Crimson Text and Lato font pairing

Serif headings with a sans 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 Lato, 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 Lato's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Lato stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

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 →

BLato

Lato is a free sans serif typeface designed by Łukasz Dziedzic, added to Google Fonts in 2010. It comes in 5 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for Lato →

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

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

More pairings with Crimson Text

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HCrimson TextBIntereditorial→

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.

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 Lato

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HMerriweatherBLatoeditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Crimson Text and Lato go well together?

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. Lato stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

Which font should be used for headings?

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

Are Crimson Text and Lato free?

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