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Titan One and Open Sans font pairing

Display headings with a sans serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Design is how it works

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 Open Sans, while the headline uses Titan One. 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

Titan One is a display face with strong personality — use it big and sparingly. Open Sans is neutral enough to let it shine without competing. Open Sans ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

HTitan One

Titan One is a free display typeface designed by Rodrigo Fuenzalida, added to Google Fonts in 2012. It comes in 1 weight.

More pairings for Titan One →

BOpen Sans

Open Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Steve Matteson, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 6 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.

More pairings for Open Sans →

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

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

More pairings with Titan One

More pairings with Open Sans

Frequently asked questions

Do Titan One and Open Sans go well together?

Titan One is a display face with strong personality — use it big and sparingly. Open Sans is neutral enough to let it shine without competing. Open Sans ships in 6 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Titan One for headings at weight 400, and Open Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Titan One and Open Sans free?

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