friendly

Roboto Slab and Noto Sans Arabic font pairing

Serif headings with a sans serif body.

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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 Noto 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 Noto Sans Arabic's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Noto Sans Arabic 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 →

BNoto Sans Arabic

Noto Sans Arabic is a free sans serif typeface designed by Google, added to Google Fonts in 2020. It comes in 9 weights, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.

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

body {
  font-family: 'Noto 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 Noto Sans Arabic

Notes from the studio

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

HCormorant GaramondBNoto Sans Arabiceditorial→

A classic contrast: Cormorant Garamond's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Noto Sans Arabic's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Good things take time

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

HEB GaramondBNoto Sans Arabiceditorial→

A classic contrast: EB Garamond's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Noto Sans Arabic's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.

Design is how it works

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

HNoto Sans ArabicBLibre Baskervillemoderneditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Roboto Slab and Noto Sans Arabic go well together?

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

Are Roboto Slab and Noto Sans Arabic free?

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