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Click an underlined word to change it · Press Space to shuffleTap an underlined word to change it53 curated pairings · 2,150+ free fonts · No sign-up

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The MarginIssue 14 · Autumn

The quiet return of the printed page

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The Margin

The quiet return of the printed page

A generation raised on screens is paying for paper again. We asked the people who make it why.

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Issue 14 · Autumn

The Margin

Slow by design

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No. 01Issue 14

The Margin

Slow by design

Whole bean250 g

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Use case

Font pairings for billboards and signage

Signs are read from a distance, at an angle, often in a moving car. The shapes of the letters matter more than anything else, and so does keeping the words few. The examples above show the current pairing on billboards and signs; press Space for another, or pick one below.

Distance is the test

Open, wide letterforms read from further away. Very condensed or high-contrast faces lose their thin strokes at a distance.

Seven words or fewer

A billboard gets a few seconds. One headline in the heading face and a name or address in the body face is enough.

See it in place

The examples above put your pairing on a real billboard, poster and sign. Shuffle to compare how faces hold up in context.

Pairings for billboards and signs

  • Bricolage Grotesque + Inter
  • Syne + Inter
  • Anybody + Inter
  • Cabinet Grotesk + DM Sans
  • Darker Grotesque + DM Sans
  • Montserrat + Source Sans 3
  • Albert Sans + Albert Sans
  • Red Hat Display + Red Hat Text
  • Schibsted Grotesk + DM Sans
  • Outfit + DM Sans

Questions

What font size works on a billboard?
A rule of thumb is about 1 inch of letter height per 10 feet of viewing distance; a roadside billboard needs letters well over a foot tall.
Serif or sans-serif for signage?
Sans-serifs with open shapes are the most common choice for wayfinding. Serifs and display faces work for shop signs, where character matters more than speed.

Other uses

  • Websites
  • Mobile apps
  • Dashboards
  • Posters
  • Business cards
  • Social media
  • Newsletters
  • Packaging

Pairings

  • All pairings
  • Serif pairings
  • Sans-serif pairings
  • Display pairings

Use cases

  • Websites
  • Mobile apps
  • Dashboards
  • Posters
  • Business cards
  • Social media
  • Newsletters
  • Billboards and signs
  • Packaging

Fonts

  • Inter
  • DM Sans
  • Work Sans
  • Manrope
  • Fraunces
  • Playfair Display
  • Poppins
  • Space Grotesk

Moods

  • elegant
  • minimal
  • editorial
  • startup
  • fintech
  • healthcare
  • creative
  • technical
  • corporate
  • playful
  • luxury
  • accessible

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Fonts belong to their designers. Example photography from Unsplash.

Bricolage Grotesque and Inter, Quirky + Stable

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Quirky + Stable · 32 of 53