The Top 10 Serif Google Fonts

Serif fonts weave a timeless elegance and classical charm into every design they grace. Characterized by the subtle embellishments at the ends of strokes, serif typefaces exude sophistication and readability, making them a staple choice for everything from editorial layouts to branding projects. With Google Fonts emerging as a pivotal resource for designers worldwide, it unveils a rich collection of exquisite Serif fonts waiting to be discovered.

Here, we present our meticulously curated top ten selection, highlighting the epitome of what Google Fonts delivers in the Serif category.

Originally released in 2011, this typeface underwent significant enhancements in 2017. Positioned as a Display font suitable for larger sizes, it falls within the transitional genre. Functionally and stylistically, it complements typefaces like Georgia or Gelasio for body text. However, in 2023, it was superseded by the comprehensive Playfair design, which, as a variable font, encompasses body text variations along the optical size axis.

The Playfair project is spearheaded by Claus Eggers Sørensen, a skilled type designer based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Cormorant stands as a freely available display type family crafted by Christian Thalmann. This endeavor encompasses a comprehensive collection of 45 font files, delineated across nine distinct visual styles: Roman, Italic, Infant, Infant Italic, Garamond, Garamond Italic, Upright Cursive, Small Caps, and Unicase. Furthermore, it offers a variety of weights including Light, Regular, Medium, SemiBold, and Bold. Every aspect of Cormorant, from its conception, drawing, spacing, kerning, programming, interpolation, to production, is the result of Christian Thalmann’s meticulous efforts under Catharsis Fonts.

Christian Thalmann, a talented type designer based in Zurich, Switzerland, leads the Cormorant project.

Prata embodies an elegant Didone typeface characterized by distinct sharp features and graceful organic teardrops. A captivating tension arises from the contrast between its robust serifs and delicately refined curves. The triangular serifs harmoniously complement and emphasize the slender strokes, while the pronounced contrast renders it most effective at larger display sizes.

Crafted by Ivan Petrov for Cyreal, Prata is a testament to meticulous design and finesse.

Bodoni Moda represents a Bodoni type family crafted without compromise, tailored for the demands of the digital era. This comprehensive font family comprises a complete spectrum of weights, italics, an expansive character set, OpenType features, and optical sizes, boasting a total of 64 font files. Developed with passion, it remains a work of ongoing refinement, evolving with the support of its users.

Designed by Owen Earl of indestructible type*.

Taviraj presents itself as a serif typeface accommodating both Latin and looped Thai scripts, characterized by its expansive structure ensuring readability and legibility, particularly suitable for formal applications. The Thai script within Taviraj mirrors the thickness variations found in the Latin counterparts, featuring rounded and spacious looped terminals. Comprising nine distinct weights alongside italics, Taviraj caters to diverse typographic needs.

The term “Taviraj” holds historical significance, referencing the final two monarchs of Krungsri Ayutthaya, the erstwhile capital of Thailand. It metaphorically signifies the decline of a dynasty, as evidenced in King Rama V’s poetic expression concerning Siam’s confrontation with French expansionism.

Cadson Demak, a renowned type foundry based in Thailand, leads the Taviraj project.

Brygada 1918 emerges as a revival initiative commemorating the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence in 2018, bolstered by the backing of the “Independent” program and the President of the Republic of Poland.

Inspired by the catalog entry of the National Type Foundry dating back to 1954 and a collection of matrices uncovered at the Book Arts Museum by Janusz Tryzno in 2016, this typeface project pays homage to historical typographic roots.

Kalnia represents a variable font boasting weight and width axes, meticulously crafted with pronounced contrast and sophisticated terminals, drawing inspiration from the Victorian era. This pivotal period witnessed the shift from manual to mechanized production, giving rise to the ‘fat face’ style—a bold, attention-commanding typography notably employed in poster headlines to diverge from conventional typefaces. Kalnia skillfully encapsulates both delicacy and boldness, serving as a bridge between tradition and innovation. With a diverse range of eight styles, this display font family proves to be a versatile option for poster headlines and creative design endeavors.

Designed by Frida Medrano.

Inria Sans and Inria Serif constitute a duo within a type family crafted for the communication needs of Inria, a prominent national institute specializing in digital research. Tasked with conveying the institute’s core values, which intersect humanity, technology, excellence, and creativity, Black[Foundry] embarked on creating a humanist typeface. The Sans-Serif component boasts a boldly contemporary design, while the Serif adopts a more rational approach. Each member of the family is available in three weights, accompanied by corresponding Italics, ensuring versatility and coherence across communication materials.

Designed by Grégori Vincens and Jérémie Hornus.

The characters of Kaisei Haru No Umi feature an organic, undulating design, imparting a natural and approachable aesthetic.

Designed by Font-Kai

If you want to see the fonts in action and get the links to download them, then click here.