Playfair Display and Source Sans 3 font pairing
High-contrast Didone headlines over a calm humanist sans — the definitive editorial look.
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 Source Sans 3, 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 Source Sans 3's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Source Sans 3 ships in 8 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 →BSource Sans 3
Source Sans 3 is a free sans serif typeface designed by Paul D. Hunt, added to Google Fonts in 2021. It comes in 8 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.
More pairings for Source Sans 3 →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=Source+Sans+3:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'Source Sans 3', 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.
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.
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 Source Sans 3
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
Condensed, poster-like headings with an easy-going sans for everything else.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
Bookish Baskerville authority paired with a contemporary, low-key body face.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Source Sans 3's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Frequently asked questions
Do Playfair Display and Source Sans 3 go well together?
A classic contrast: Playfair Display's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Source Sans 3's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Source Sans 3 ships in 8 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 Source Sans 3 for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Playfair Display and Source Sans 3 free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.