editorial

Frank Ruhl Libre and Open Sans 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 Open Sans, while the headline uses Frank Ruhl Libre. 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: Frank Ruhl Libre's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Open Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Open Sans ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HFrank Ruhl Libre

Frank Ruhl Libre is a free serif typeface designed by Yanek Iontef, added to Google Fonts in 2016. It comes in 7 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Frank Ruhl Libre →

BOpen Sans

Open Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 6 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.

More pairings for Open Sans →

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=Frank+Ruhl+Libre:wght@700&family=Open+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Frank Ruhl Libre', serif;
  font-weight: 700;
}

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

More pairings with Frank Ruhl Libre

A field guide to good ideas

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

HFrank Ruhl LibreBUbuntueditorial→

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

Ideas that travel well

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

HFrank Ruhl LibreBRalewayeditorial→

A classic contrast: Frank Ruhl Libre's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Raleway'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.

HInterBFrank Ruhl Libremoderneditorial→

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

More pairings with Open Sans

Frequently asked questions

Do Frank Ruhl Libre and Open Sans go well together?

A classic contrast: Frank Ruhl Libre's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Open Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Open Sans ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Frank Ruhl Libre for headings at weight 700, and Open Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Frank Ruhl Libre and Open Sans free?

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