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Plus Jakarta Sans and Source Serif 4 font pairing

A modern, slightly condensed sans for UI and headings over a refined text serif.

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Issue 07 · Field notes
Built for the long run

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 Serif 4, while the headline uses Plus Jakarta Sans. 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 modern twist on the classic: Plus Jakarta Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Source Serif 4's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Source Serif 4 ships in 8 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HPlus Jakarta Sans

Plus Jakarta Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Tokotype, added to Google Fonts in 2022. It comes in 7 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Plus Jakarta Sans →

BSource Serif 4

Source Serif 4 is a free serif typeface designed by Frank Grießhammer, added to Google Fonts in 2021. It comes in 8 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with optical size and weight axes.

More pairings for Source Serif 4 →

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=Plus+Jakarta+Sans:wght@700&family=Source+Serif+4:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Plus Jakarta Sans', sans-serif;
  font-weight: 700;
}

body {
  font-family: 'Source Serif 4', serif;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.6;
}

More pairings with Plus Jakarta Sans

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HPT SerifBPlus Jakarta Sanseditorial→

A classic contrast: PT Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Plus Jakarta Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Notes from the studio

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

HBitterBPlus Jakarta Sanseditorial→

A classic contrast: Bitter's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Plus Jakarta 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.

HZilla SlabBPlus Jakarta Sanseditorial→

A classic contrast: Zilla Slab'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 Serif 4

Frequently asked questions

Do Plus Jakarta Sans and Source Serif 4 go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: Plus Jakarta Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Source Serif 4's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Source Serif 4 ships in 8 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Plus Jakarta Sans for headings at weight 700, and Source Serif 4 for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Plus Jakarta Sans and Source Serif 4 free?

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