modern · editorial

Varela Round and EB Garamond font pairing

Sans Serif headings with a serif body.

Background
Issue 07 · Field notes
Everything starts with a sketch

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 EB Garamond, while the headline uses Varela Round. 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: Varela Round keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while EB Garamond's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. EB Garamond stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

HVarela Round

Varela Round is a free sans serif typeface designed by Joe Prince, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 1 weight.

More pairings for Varela Round →

BEB Garamond

EB Garamond is a free serif typeface designed by Georg Duffner and Octavio Pardo, added to Google Fonts in 2011. It comes in 5 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with a weight axis.

More pairings for EB Garamond →

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

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

More pairings with Varela Round

Design is how it works

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

HVarela RoundBPlayfair Displaymoderneditorial→

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

Where craft meets code

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

HVarela RoundBFrauncesmoderneditorial→

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

Everything starts with a sketch

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

HVarela RoundBGoogle Sansmodern→

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

More pairings with EB Garamond

Ideas that travel well

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

HEB GaramondBNunito Sanseditorial→

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

Where craft meets code

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

HEB GaramondBLatoeditorial→

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

Frequently asked questions

Do Varela Round and EB Garamond go well together?

A modern twist on the classic: Varela Round keeps headings crisp and contemporary, while EB Garamond's serifs guide the eye along longer lines of text. EB Garamond stays comfortable at paragraph sizes.

Which font should be used for headings?

Use Varela Round for headings at weight 400, and EB Garamond for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.

Are Varela Round and EB Garamond free?

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