editorial

Nanum Myeongjo and Lato font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Everything starts with a sketch

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 Lato, while the headline uses Nanum Myeongjo. 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: Nanum Myeongjo's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Lato's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Lato stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

HNanum Myeongjo

Nanum Myeongjo is a free serif typeface designed by Sandoll Communication, added to Google Fonts in 2018. It comes in 3 weights.

More pairings for Nanum Myeongjo →

BLato

Lato is a free sans serif typeface designed by Łukasz Dziedzic, added to Google Fonts in 2010. It comes in 5 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for Lato →

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

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

More pairings with Nanum Myeongjo

The art of saying less

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

HNanum MyeongjoBOpen Sanseditorial→

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

The art of saying less

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

HNanum MyeongjoBKaniteditorial→

A classic contrast: Nanum Myeongjo's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Kanit'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.

HRobotoBNanum Myeongjomoderneditorial→

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

More pairings with Lato

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HMerriweatherBLatoeditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Nanum Myeongjo and Lato go well together?

A classic contrast: Nanum Myeongjo's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Lato's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Lato stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

Which font should be used for headings?

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

Are Nanum Myeongjo and Lato free?

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