9 Free Serif Fonts That Will Keep You On Trend
For the last decade, fonts like this one have dominated. Clean, geometric, sans serif, and good looking in practically every weight (how thick the letters appear).
If you have redesigned your church’s website in the last decade, you likely ended up choosing a font similar to this one—perhaps free alternatives like Montserrat, Open Sans, or Source Sans Pro.
A clean, easy-to-read sans serif will always be a good choice, especially online. Sans serif fonts display well on screens of all sizes because they don’t have serifs—the little “tick marks” at the end of letters that can get blurry on some screens. However, as screens become higher and higher resolution every year, the danger of a blurry reading experience is decreasing.
This improved ability to reproduce serif fonts on screens is coming at the right time because typographical trends are beginning to change. Some tech and media companies are still favoring bold sans serifs—like Spotify’s use of Circular—but I am seeing and reading about more rebranding efforts that are utilizing serif fonts. Two recent examples include Chobani and This American Life.
What I love about these is that they convey two different feels. The rebranding of This American Life does have the more traditional feel, which is perfect for a journalistic program. However, the Chobani font choice shows that serif fonts don’t have to be stuffy. They can be warm and friendly.
If you’re interested in trying out this trend in typography at your church, I have collected 9 serif fonts that are completely free. I limited my search to Google Fonts because you can not only download them, but you can use them on your website. In fact, many website builders and themes already include Google Fonts.
Roboto Slab
Description
Roboto Slab, as the name indicates, is a “slab serif” font. This means that the serifs are thicker and often look like heavy rectangles at the end of the letters. Roboto Slab is one of the most popular Google Fonts, so if you choose it, your design won’t necessarily be unique, but you will be in good company. You could almost describe this font as “friendly” thanks to its wide letter forms and tall x-height (the height of lowercase letters compared to uppercase letters).
Technical Considerations
It comes in 4 different weights (thicknesses), but it does not have italics. However, its siblings, Roboto and Roboto Condensed, come with multiple weights and full italics. This means you can use Roboto Slab for headlines, where you are less likely to need italics, and employ the more versatile Roboto for body copy.
You Are Welcome at Our Church
This is what Roboto Slab would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Vollkorn
Description
Vollkorn is not quite a slab serif, but it does have thick, meaty serifs. It is not as friendly as Roboto, but it isn’t cold and sterile either. The type designer describes it as “a quiet, modest and well working text face for bread and butter use.”
Technical Considerations
It comes in 4 weights with full italics. As you can see below, it works well as both headline and body copy, or you can pair it with a sans serif for body copy.
For God So Loved The World…
This is what Vollkorn would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Merriweather
Description
Merriweather was specifically designed to work well on screens, so if you’re worried about readability, this might be a great choice. It has the same open friendliness as Roboto Slab with slightly narrower letterforms. If you’re looking for a serif font without a traditional or retro feel, the angles and stroke widths of Merriweather give it a more modern feel.
Technical Considerations
It comes in 4 weights with full italics. And as with Roboto, Merriweather has a sans serif sibling font that offers the same letterforms without the serifs. Pairing serif and sans serif versions of the same font, when available, helps create a consistency and harmony in your design.
Join Us for Worship This Weekend!
This is what Merriweather would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Lora
Description
Lora is described as having calligraphic influences. It has thicker serifs, yet the strokes of the letters curve into the serifs slightly at the ends—particularly on long letters. And while this may just be me, I love fonts where the ends of some letters have a circular, dot-like end—such as in Lora’s lowercase a, c, r, and f.
Technical Considerations
It comes in 2 weights with full italics. As with Merriweather, it was designed with the screen in mind, so it works well at all sizes. Some of the particular details, like the slight curve into the serif, is mostly lost when used as body copy. So, if you love the distinctive details on this font, use it as a headline.
I Once Was Lost But Now Am Found.
This is what Lora would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Libre Baskerville
Description
Libre Baskerville is a screen-friendly update of a WWII era font. It seems to present the perfect mixture of traditional, tapered serifs with the friendliness of a high x-height that allows for more open letterforms. In fact, the original Baskerville font has been proven to be more believable than many popular alternatives!
Technical Considerations
It comes in 2 weights with italics for only the regular weight and not the bold weight.
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
This is what Libre Baskerville would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Crimson Text
Description
Crimson Text is a modern font based on the very old Garamond. And while the next font is actually a modern version of Garamond, I placed Crimson here because it fits well between Garamond and Baskerville. While its letterforms look more like Garamond, it has thicker and more consistent line weight throughout its letters like in Baskerville.
Technical Considerations
It comes in 3 weights with full italics. Crimson is meant to remind you of the type you find in older books, so there is a level of familiarity that comes through—particularly when you use it as body copy.
We Are Saving a Seat For You!
This is what Crimson Text would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
EB Garamond
Description
EB Garamond is a modern version of a very old font. Garamond dates to the mid 1500s, and it is one of the most recognized and influential fonts of all time. There are many fonts that copy the Garamond style, but no free alternative is as comprehensive and high quality as this one. If you’re looking for a traditional look and feel, you’ve found a winner.
Technical Considerations
It comes in 5 weights with full italics. EB Garamond, and other Garamond-influenced fonts, have very stylized italics. If you use italics often in your designs or on your website, be sure you like the look of the italic letterforms before you settle on this font.
In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…
This is what EB Garamond would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Bellefair
Description
Bellefair has very subtle serifs, appearing as sharp points that don’t extend far beyond the letter’s strokes. It also features condensed letter forms and a low x-height, giving it a tall and narrow appearance. These details give it a graceful and classy feel.
Technical Considerations
It comes in only 1 weight with no italics. This would make it a difficult font to use regularly, particularly as body copy. However, for a specific design or as your choice for headlines, this font can give your work a very distinct feel.
He is Risen! Alleluia!
This is what Bellefair would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
Playfair Display
Description
Playfair Display is a font you might recognize from around the web. I used a version of it for a while in social media graphics, and you will also find it on some lifestyle and media sites. It has a vintage feel without seeming too old. You will most often see the heavier weights used—bold and black—and the italics seem to be more popular than the standard setting.
Technical Considerations
It comes in 3 weights with full italics. Due to the extreme differences in line thickness, with letterforms featuring both bold strokes and hairline connections, this font tends to work best as a headline set in larger sizes and heavier weights.
See You Next Week!
This is what Playfair Display would look like as paragraph text. This is just some extra copy so you can see the font in this size as part of a paragraph. The example text is the same for each font. You really don’t need to be reading this part. Just look at it.
