editorial

Nanum Myeongjo 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 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 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.

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 →

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

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

More pairings with Nanum Myeongjo

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HNanum MyeongjoBLatoeditorial→

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.

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 Open Sans

Frequently asked questions

Do Nanum Myeongjo and Open Sans go well together?

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. 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 Nanum Myeongjo 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 Nanum Myeongjo and Open Sans free?

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