friendly

Roboto Slab and IBM Plex Sans Arabic font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

Background
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 IBM Plex Sans Arabic, 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 IBM Plex Sans Arabic's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. IBM Plex Sans Arabic ships in 7 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 →

BIBM Plex Sans Arabic

IBM Plex Sans Arabic is a free sans serif typeface designed by Mike Abbink, Bold Monday, Khajag Apelian and Wael Morcos, added to Google Fonts in 2021. It comes in 7 weights.

More pairings for IBM Plex Sans Arabic →

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

body {
  font-family: 'IBM Plex Sans Arabic', 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 IBM Plex Sans Arabic

Design is how it works

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

HMerriweatherBIBM Plex Sans Arabiceditorial→

A classic contrast: Merriweather's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans Arabic'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.

HLoraBIBM Plex Sans Arabiceditorial→

A classic contrast: Lora's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans Arabic'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.

HIBM Plex Sans ArabicBBodoni Modamoderneditorial→

A modern twist on the classic: IBM Plex Sans Arabic keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while Bodoni Moda's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text.

Frequently asked questions

Do Roboto Slab and IBM Plex Sans Arabic go well together?

A classic contrast: Roboto Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans Arabic's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. IBM Plex Sans Arabic ships in 7 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 IBM Plex Sans Arabic for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Roboto Slab and IBM Plex Sans Arabic free?

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