Playfair Display and Instrument 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 Instrument 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 Instrument Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Instrument Sans stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.
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 →BInstrument Sans
Instrument Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Rodrigo Fuenzalida and Jordan Egstad, added to Google Fonts in 2023. It comes in 4 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.
More pairings for Instrument 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=Instrument+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'Instrument 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.
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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 DM Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
More pairings with Instrument Sans
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Instrument 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: Merriweather's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Instrument 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 modern twist on the classic: Instrument Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Lora's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.
Frequently asked questions
Do Playfair Display and Instrument Sans go well together?
A classic contrast: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Instrument Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Instrument Sans stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.
Which font should be used for headings?
Use Playfair Display for headings at weight 700, and Instrument Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Playfair Display and Instrument Sans free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.