20 Best Sans Serif and Serif Font Combinations (Sophisticated Font Pairings)

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Looking for new sans serif and serif fonts combinations? In this article, you’ll find the best font family combinations.

Fonts are a key component for communicating a message. Serif and sans serif fonts are the most well-known groups of typefaces. Learn how to combine serif and sans serif fonts for your next project. Today, we’ll go through some of the best examples of fonts that work well together. 

best font pairings examplebest font pairings examplebest font pairings example

Unlimited Sans Serif and Serif Combinations on Envato Elements

If you’re looking for inspiration or examples of the best font pairings, be sure to check out Envato Elements. Their growing library includes awesome font family combinations and fonts that go well together. You can also find other assets like photos, graphic templates, and videos

How to Combine Serif and Sans Serif Fonts

Serif fonts have always been used for printing because of their legibility. Nowadays, we find more experimental serif fonts, so if you’re designing for long-form text, be sure to keep good legibility in mind. Since the technology boom, sans serif fonts have been the number one choice for screen projects. In the last few years, we’ve seen many great fonts for legibility, both serif and sans serif. 

If you’re looking for a good mix of serif and sans serif fonts, here are some key suggestions:

  • Keep in mind which you want to use as a headline and which as a copy. You can usually get away with using something more ‘out there’ for display. 
  • Typefaces have personalities. Be sure to choose fonts that have a similar mood or are inspired by a similar era.
  • Look out for weight contrasts between the serif and sans serif pairings.
  • Avoid sans serif and serif font combinations that are too wild. Try to keep one of the fonts simple or your design can look visually disparate. 
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1. Love Story (OTF, TTF) and Singo (OTF, TTF, WOFF)

Font Family Combination: Love Story and SingoFont Family Combination: Love Story and SingoFont Family Combination: Love Story and Singo
Love Story and Singo

Love Story is a beautiful modern font that’s elegant and feminine. The font includes an italic version that is perfect for editorial design. Singo is a condensed sans serif that complements and contrasts with the width of Love Story.

2. Noorge Karlos (OTF, WOFF) and Ezra (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Noorge Karlos and EzraFont Family Combination: Noorge Karlos and EzraFont Family Combination: Noorge Karlos and Ezra
Noorge Karlos and Ezra

Noordge Karlos is a classy display serif that’s funky and fun. It includes many glyphs that can help you make an editorial design piece and brand interesting. Ezra Sans is a slightly wide modern sans serif. It’s geometric and perfect for those small details that need to be legible.

3. Regas (OTF, WOFF) and Buleten (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Regas and BuletenFont Family Combination: Regas and BuletenFont Family Combination: Regas and Buleten
Regas and Buleten

Regas is a contemporary display serif with a small contrast between thick and thin strokes. The height, the different width on the characters and its thinness make this font elegant and suitable for fashion editorials. Here, it’s paired with Buleten, a sans serif with smooth curves. Each character includes a fun dot as a glyph. These two versatile fonts are sophisticated font pairings. 

4. Resgak (OTF, WOFF) and Fraset (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Resgak and FrasetFont Family Combination: Resgak and FrasetFont Family Combination: Resgak and Fraset
Resgak and Fraset

Another pair of fonts that go well together are Resgak and Fraset. This contemporary serif features chunky serifs, giving it a powerful and strong personality. The pack contains many weights that allow you to find one suitable for text and heavier weights for headlines. The perfect contrast is Fraset, a sans serif with fun characters and awesome ligatures.

5. Munale Loird (OTF) and Downey Powerful (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Munale Loird and Downey PowerfulFont Family Combination: Munale Loird and Downey PowerfulFont Family Combination: Munale Loird and Downey Powerful
Munale Loird and Downey Powerful

Munale Loird is a minimal and chic serif font. Perfect for displaying at large sizes in editorial design or social media. Downey is an all-caps sans serif that’s wider than normal sans serifs. This is a great font to pair with a serif, and there’s also an outline version of it.

6. Bugaki (OTF, WOFF) and Henju (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Bugaki and HenjuFont Family Combination: Bugaki and HenjuFont Family Combination: Bugaki and Henju
Bugaki and Henju

This rounded serif font is perfect for those vintage style projects. Bugaki is elegant and great for branding. Here, it’s paired with Henju, a variable font that lets you customize the width and weight. These two versatile fonts are a sophisticated font pairing.

7. Vanio (OTF) and Ageo (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Vanio and AgeoFont Family Combination: Vanio and AgeoFont Family Combination: Vanio and Ageo
Vanio and Ageo

Ageo is a geometric sans serif font with eight different weights, giving you plenty to choose from. Vanio is a wedge serif whose main feature is legibility. This sans serif and serif combination is a great combo for corporate branding.

8. Brave Old (OTF) and Figerona (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Brave Old and FigeronaFont Family Combination: Brave Old and FigeronaFont Family Combination: Brave Old and Figerona
Brave Old and Figerona

Brave Old is a multifunctional serif font with many swashes. It’s inspired by retro fonts from the 70s and comes with multiple weights. The best font pairing is Figerona, a modern display sans serif that contrasts with the roundedness of Brave Old. This serif and sans serif font combination is beautiful and dynamic. 

9. Native txt (OTF, WOFF) and RNS Sanz (OTF, TTF, WOFF, WOFF2, EOT)

Font Family Combination: Native txt and RNS SanzFont Family Combination: Native txt and RNS SanzFont Family Combination: Native txt and RNS Sanz
Native txt and RNS Sanz

Native txt features a large x-height, perfect for reading. It’s a contemporary serif that needs to be paired with another modern font. RNS Sanz is neutral, clean, and functional. With seven weights, this serif and sans serif pairing can create perfect designs.

10. Gilvestre (OTF, WOFF) and Mollen (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Gilvestre and MollenFont Family Combination: Gilvestre and MollenFont Family Combination: Gilvestre and Mollen
Gilvestre and Mollen

Another example of fonts that work well together is Gilvestre and Mollen. Gilvestre brings a luxurious and elegant feel, while Mollen is designed to be functional with technological details. These two fonts can make a great skincare brand or editorial piece. 

11. Baschone (OTF) and Manford (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Baschone and ManfordFont Family Combination: Baschone and ManfordFont Family Combination: Baschone and Manford
Baschone and Manford

Sans serif and serif font combinations only work if both fonts are completely different. That’s the case for this sophisticated font pairing, Baschone and Manford. Baschone is a vintage and old style serif that brings a lot of personality, while Manford is contemporary with hints of 70s vintage.

12. Bookinnes (OTF, TTF, WOFF) and Syabil (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Bookinnes and SyabilFont Family Combination: Bookinnes and SyabilFont Family Combination: Bookinnes and Syabil
Bookinnes and Syabil

Syabil is one of the cleanest fonts out there. It was crafted with the intention of legibility both on screen and in print. Bookinnes is very distinct, so this modern serif font can add a creative flair to any project. 

13. Restora (OTF) and Proda (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Restora and Proda SansFont Family Combination: Restora and Proda SansFont Family Combination: Restora and Proda Sans
Restora and Proda Sans

Restora has a high contrast between thick and thin strokes, and it’s a mix of old-style serifs and sharp serifs. This versatile font can mix with anything, but to make it a sophisticated font pairing, I chose Proda Sans: a humanist style sans serif that’s based on geometric shapes of the 20th century. It’s a great balance between old and new.

14. Rosemode (OTF, WOFF) and Bizmo (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Rosemode and BizmoFont Family Combination: Rosemode and BizmoFont Family Combination: Rosemode and Bizmo
Rosemode and Bizmo

Rosemode is a luxurious font based on Roman shapes. To offset the traditional personality, here it’s paired with Bizmo. This display sans serif is wide and suitable for use in large settings. 

15. Awaken (TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2) and Bermont (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Awaken and BermontFont Family Combination: Awaken and BermontFont Family Combination: Awaken and Bermont
Awaken and Bermont

Awaken is a neat font that features swashes on some characters and is suitable for use on wedding invitations. Bermont is an all-caps font with bold weights. This serif and sans serif font combination is great for movie titles, book titles, and social media.

16. Shallot (OTF) and Altone (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Shallot and AltoneFont Family Combination: Shallot and AltoneFont Family Combination: Shallot and Altone
Shallot and Altone

Shallot mixes calligraphic strokes and transitional serif styles. The high contrast between the strokes and wide characters make it modern. Altone is a conventional, geometric sans serif based on the Bauhaus style. This sans serif and serif font combination is classic. 

17. Slippery (OTF) and Serca (OTF)

Font Family Combination: Slippery and SercaFont Family Combination: Slippery and SercaFont Family Combination: Slippery and Serca
Slippery and Serca

If legibility is key, Slippery is a serif with that mission. It has soft edges and a large counter to make text legible. Serca is a geometric sans serif with condensed proportions. It’s professional, so this sophisticated font pairing is great for corporate branding and mobile apps.

18. Gorgeous (OTF, TTF, WOFF) and Handmade (OTF, TTF)

Font Family Combination: Gorgeous and Handmade WanderlustFont Family Combination: Gorgeous and Handmade WanderlustFont Family Combination: Gorgeous and Handmade Wanderlust
Gorgeous and Handmade Wanderlust

Gorgeous is a modern serif font that’s suitable for fashion editorials. The thin serifs make it look elegant and tall. Handmade Wanderlust is a hand-drawn sans serif that’s slightly uneven. 

19. Artifex CF (OTF) and RNS Sisma (OTF, WOFF)

Font Family Combination: Artifex and RNS SismaFont Family Combination: Artifex and RNS SismaFont Family Combination: Artifex and RNS Sisma
Artifex and RNS Sisma

Artifex CF is a text-friendly serif font designed with legibility in mind. The smooth serifs and elegant italics allow for text to flow easily. Here, it’s paired with RNS Sisma, great for screen and print with its wide range of weights.

20. Addington (OTF) and Candice (OTF, WOFF)

Font Family Combination: Addington and CandiceFont Family Combination: Addington and CandiceFont Family Combination: Addington and Candice
Addington and Candice

Another set of fonts that complement each other is Candice and Addington. This sophisticated font pairing can work for screen or print. The serif font is beautiful and practical, and it’s very versatile, with a mix of calligraphy and traditional serifs. Candice is a sans serif font that’s bold and expanded. This mix of serif and sans serif is modern and eye-catching.

That’s It!

In this article, you learned how to combine serif and sans serif fonts. With these examples of fonts that work well together, you’ll be able to design the most creative posters and branding. This mix of serif and sans serif fonts is essential in any designer’s toolbox. 

If you’re looking for inspiration or sophisticated font pairings, be sure to check out Envato Elements. Their growing library includes fonts that complement each other and serif and sans serif pairings. You can also find other assets like add-ons, presentation templates, and stock video. You might also be interested in the following articles: