editorial

Noto Serif and Poppins font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Stories worth reading slowly

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 Poppins, while the headline uses Noto Serif. 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: Noto Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Poppins's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Poppins ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HNoto Serif

Noto Serif is a free serif typeface designed by Google, added to Google Fonts in 2013. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.

More pairings for Noto Serif →

BPoppins

Poppins is a free sans serif typeface designed by Indian Type Foundry, Jonny Pinhorn and Ninad Kale, added to Google Fonts in 2015. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for Poppins →

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

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

More pairings with Noto Serif

Good things take time

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

HNoto SerifBRoboto Condensededitorial→

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

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HNoto SerifBGoogle Sanseditorial→

A classic contrast: Noto Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Google Sans'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.

HDM SansBNoto Serifmoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: DM Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Noto Serif's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

More pairings with Poppins

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HLibre BaskervilleBPoppinseditorial→

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

Good things take time

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

HBitterBPoppinseditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Noto Serif and Poppins go well together?

A classic contrast: Noto Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Poppins's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Poppins ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

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

Are Noto Serif and Poppins free?

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