editorial

Literata and Manrope font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
A field guide to good ideas

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 Manrope, while the headline uses Literata. 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: Literata's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Manrope's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Manrope ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HLiterata

Literata is a free serif typeface designed by TypeTogether, added to Google Fonts in 2018. It comes in 8 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with optical size and weight axes.

More pairings for Literata →

BManrope

Manrope is a free sans serif typeface designed by Mikhail Sharanda, added to Google Fonts in 2019. It comes in 7 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Manrope →

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

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

More pairings with Literata

Make something people love

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

HLiterataBIntereditorial→

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

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HLiterataBOswaldeditorial→

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

More pairings with Manrope

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HPlayfair DisplayBManropeeditorial→

A classic contrast: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Manrope'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.

HEB GaramondBManropeeditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Literata and Manrope go well together?

A classic contrast: Literata's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Manrope's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Manrope ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

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

Are Literata and Manrope free?

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