modern · editorial

PT Sans and Merriweather font pairing

Sans Serif headings with a serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Make something people love

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 Merriweather, while the headline uses PT 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: PT Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Merriweather's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Merriweather ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HPT Sans

PT Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by ParaType, added to Google Fonts in 2010. It comes in 2 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for PT Sans →

BMerriweather

Merriweather is a free serif typeface designed by Sorkin Type, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 7 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with optical size, width and weight axes.

More pairings for Merriweather →

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

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

More pairings with PT Sans

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HPT SansBSource Serif 4moderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: PT Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Source Serif 4's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

A field guide to good ideas

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

HPT SansBFrauncesmoderneditorial→

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

More pairings with Merriweather

Frequently asked questions

Do PT Sans and Merriweather go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: PT Sans keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Merriweather's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Merriweather ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use PT Sans for headings at weight 700, and Merriweather for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are PT Sans and Merriweather free?

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