modern · editorial

Fjalla One and Fraunces font pairing

Sans Serif headings with a serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Good things take time

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 Fraunces, while the headline uses Fjalla One. 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 modern twist on the classic: Fjalla One keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Fraunces's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Fraunces ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HFjalla One

Fjalla One is a free sans serif typeface designed by Sorkin Type and Irina Smirnova, added to Google Fonts in 2012. It comes in 1 weight.

More pairings for Fjalla One →

BFraunces

Fraunces is a free serif typeface designed by Undercase Type, Phaedra Charles and Flavia Zimbardi, added to Google Fonts in 2020. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with softness, wonkiness, optical size and weight axes.

More pairings for Fraunces →

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

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

More pairings with Fjalla One

Ideas that travel well

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

HFjalla OneBLibre Baskervillemoderneditorial→

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

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HFjalla OneBCormorant Garamondmoderneditorial→

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

Good things take time

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

HFjalla OneBPoppinsmodern→

Two sans serifs can work when they differ in structure: Fjalla One carries the headings, Poppins handles text, and hierarchy comes from weight and size.

More pairings with Fraunces

Good things take time

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

HFrauncesBOswaldeditorial→

A classic contrast: Fraunces's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Oswald'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.

HFrauncesBGoogle Sanseditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Fjalla One and Fraunces go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: Fjalla One keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Fraunces's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Fraunces ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Fjalla One for headings at weight 400, and Fraunces for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Fjalla One and Fraunces free?

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