editorial

EB Garamond and Lexend Deca font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Built for the long run

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

HEB Garamond

EB Garamond is a free serif typeface designed by Georg Duffner and Octavio Pardo, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 5 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for EB Garamond →

BLexend Deca

Lexend Deca is a free sans serif typeface designed by Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor Gómez and Superunion, added to Google Fonts in 2019. It comes in 9 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Lexend Deca →

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

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

More pairings with EB Garamond

Ideas that travel well

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

HEB GaramondBNunito Sanseditorial→

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

Where craft meets code

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

HEB GaramondBLatoeditorial→

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

More pairings with Lexend Deca

Ideas that travel well

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

HMerriweatherBLexend Decaeditorial→

A classic contrast: Merriweather's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Lexend Deca'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.

HLibre BaskervilleBLexend Decaeditorial→

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

A field guide to good ideas

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

HLexend DecaBRoboto Slabmoderneditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do EB Garamond and Lexend Deca go well together?

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

Which font should be used for headings?

Use EB Garamond for headings at weight 700, and Lexend Deca for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are EB Garamond and Lexend Deca free?

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