Zilla Slab and Open Sans font pairing
A contemporary slab with personality, set against a universally readable sans.
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 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 Open Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. Open Sans ships in 6 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 →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
<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=Open+Sans:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">h1, h2, h3 {
font-family: 'Zilla Slab', serif;
font-weight: 700;
}
body {
font-family: 'Open 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 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.
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 Open Sans
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
All-caps impact for headings, with Open Sans doing the heavy lifting in paragraphs.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A playful retro script for logos and hero lines; keep it short and let Open Sans read.
Typography sets the tone before a single word is read. A good pairing feels like one voice.
A heavy slab for strong, vintage-flavoured headlines with a neutral sans.
Frequently asked questions
Do Zilla Slab and Open Sans go well together?
A classic contrast: Zilla Slab's serifs give headlines an editorial, trustworthy voice while Open Sans's clean shapes keep body text easy to scan on screens. 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 Zilla Slab for headings at weight 700, and Open Sans for body text at weight 400. You can swap them in the pairing tool to compare.
Are Zilla Slab and Open Sans free?
Yes — both are open-source fonts on Google Fonts and free for personal and commercial use.