friendly

Roboto Slab and Chivo font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
A field guide to good ideas

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 Chivo, while the headline uses Roboto Slab. 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 classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Chivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Chivo ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HRoboto Slab

Roboto Slab is a free slab serif typeface designed by Christian Robertson, added to Google Fonts in 2013. It comes in 9 weights, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Roboto Slab →

BChivo

Chivo is a free sans serif typeface designed by Omnibus-Type, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 9 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for Chivo →

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

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

More pairings with Roboto Slab

The art of saying less

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

HRoboto SlabBRubikfriendly→

A classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Rubik's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Ideas that travel well

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

HRoboto SlabBPoppinsfriendly→

A classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Poppins's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

More pairings with Chivo

The art of saying less

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

HFrauncesBChivoeditorial→

A classic contrast: Fraunces's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Chivo'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.

HIBM Plex SerifBChivoeditorial→

A classic contrast: IBM Plex Serif's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Chivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

A field guide to good ideas

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

HChivoBMerriweathermoderneditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Roboto Slab and Chivo go well together?

A classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Chivo's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Chivo ships in 9 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Roboto Slab for headings at weight 700, and Chivo for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Roboto Slab and Chivo free?

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