modern · editorial

Quantico and Playfair Display 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 Playfair Display, while the headline uses Quantico. 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: Quantico keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Playfair Display's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Playfair Display ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HQuantico

Quantico is a free sans serif typeface designed by MADType, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 2 weights with matching italics.

More pairings for Quantico →

BPlayfair 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 →

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

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

More pairings with Quantico

Ideas that travel well

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

HQuanticoBCormorant Garamondmoderneditorial→

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

Stories worth reading slowly

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

HQuanticoBLibre Baskervillemoderneditorial→

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

Good things take time

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

HQuanticoBUbuntumodern→

Two sans serifs can work when they differ in structure: Quantico carries the headings, Ubuntu handles text, and hierarchy comes from weight and size.

More pairings with Playfair Display

A field guide to good ideas

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

HPlayfair DisplayBOswaldeditorial→

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.

Make something people love

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

HPlayfair DisplayBDM Sanseditorial→

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.

Frequently asked questions

Do Quantico and Playfair Display go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: Quantico keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Playfair Display's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. Playfair Display ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Quantico for headings at weight 700, and Playfair Display for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Quantico and Playfair Display free?

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