IBM Plex Serif and Oswald font pairing
Serif headings with a sans serif body.
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 Oswald, while the headline uses IBM Plex Serif. Numbers like 0123456789, punctuation “quotes” — and ampersands & — reveal a lot about how two typefaces get along.
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: IBM Plex Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Oswald's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Oswald ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
HIBM Plex Serif
IBM Plex Serif is a free serif typeface designed by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday, added to Google Fonts in 2018. It comes in 7 weights with matching italics.
More pairings for IBM Plex Serif →BOswald
Oswald is a free sans serif typeface designed by Vernon Adams, Kalapi Gajjar and Cyreal, added to Google Fonts in 2012. It comes in 6 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.
More pairings for Oswald →Use this pairing on your website
<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=IBM+Plex+Serif:wght@700&family=Oswald:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'IBM Plex Serif', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'Oswald', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.6;
}More pairings with IBM Plex Serif
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
Engineered together — a dependable choice for docs, products and dashboards.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: IBM Plex Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Open Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: IBM Plex Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Mulish's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
More pairings with Oswald
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
Condensed, poster-like headings with an easy-going sans for everything else.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Merriweather's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Oswald's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Lora's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Oswald's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Frequently asked questions
Do IBM Plex Serif and Oswald go well together?
A classic contrast: IBM Plex Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Oswald's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Oswald ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
Which font should be used for headings?
Use IBM Plex Serif for headings at weight 700, and Oswald for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are IBM Plex Serif and Oswald free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.