Zilla Slab and IBM Plex Sans font pairing
Serif headings with a sans serif body.
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, while the headline uses Zilla Slab. Numbers like 0123456789, punctuation “quotes” — and ampersands & — reveal a lot about how two typefaces get along.
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: Zilla Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. IBM Plex Sans ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
HZilla Slab
Zilla Slab is a free serif typeface designed by Typotheque, added to Google Fonts in 2017. It comes in 5 weights with matching italics.
More pairings for Zilla Slab →BIBM Plex Sans
IBM Plex Sans is a free sans serif typeface designed by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday, added to Google Fonts in 2018. It comes in 7 weights with matching italics, and is a variable font with width and weight axes.
More pairings for IBM Plex Sans →Use this pairing on your website
<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=Zilla+Slab:wght@700&family=IBM+Plex+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Zilla Slab', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'IBM Plex Sans', sans-serif;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.6;
}More pairings with Zilla Slab
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A contemporary slab with personality, set against a universally readable sans.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Zilla Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Montserrat's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Zilla Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Work Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
More pairings with IBM Plex Sans
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
Engineered together — a dependable choice for docs, products and dashboards.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Libre Baskerville's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A classic contrast: Spectral's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens.
Frequently asked questions
Do Zilla Slab and IBM Plex Sans go well together?
A classic contrast: Zilla Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while IBM Plex Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. IBM Plex Sans ships in 7 weights, so you can build captions, buttons and emphasis without adding another family.
Which font should be used for headings?
Use Zilla Slab for headings at weight 700, and IBM Plex Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Zilla Slab and IBM Plex Sans free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.