Playfair Display and DM Sans 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 DM Sans, while the headline uses Playfair Display. 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: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while DM Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. DM Sans ships in 10 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
HPlayfair Display
Playfair Display is a free serif typeface designed by Claus Eggers Sørensen, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 6 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.
More pairings for Playfair Display →BDM Sans
DM Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Colophon Foundry, added to Google Fonts in 2019. It comes in 10 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with optical size and weight axes.
More pairings for DM Sans →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=Playfair+Display:wght@700&family=DM+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'DM Sans', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.6;
}More pairings with Playfair Display
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
High-contrast Didone headlines over a calm humanist sans — the definitive editorial look.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Playfair Display'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: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Plus Jakarta Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
More pairings with DM Sans
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A superfamily match: shared proportions, opposite personalities.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Fraunces's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while DM 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: Newsreader's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while DM Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Frequently asked questions
Do Playfair Display and DM Sans go well together?
A classic contrast: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while DM Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. DM Sans ships in 10 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
Which font should be used for headings?
Use Playfair Display for headings at weight 700, and DM Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Playfair Display and DM Sans free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.