Let’s talk about sans serif fonts, where less isn’t just more—it’s everything. These modern marvels crashed the design party in the ’20s, bringing a fresh, no-frills attitude to the font world. Sans serif fonts are typically used to convey simplicity and minimalism. You’ve more than likely heard or used a few of the most popular sans serif fonts like: Futura, Helvetica, and Arial.
What is a Sans Serif Font?
To understand what a sans serif typeface is, it helps to know what a serif font is. A serif is a small line or “foot” attached to the main strokes, usually hanging off the edge or at the base of the letterform.
A serif typeface has these extra strokes pictured on the right, while a sans serif font does not. Sans means ‘without’ so sans serif literally means ‘without serif’, or without the little stroke.
Serif fonts are most commonly used in titles, headlines, and lengthy texts like books because they can be easier to read. While sans serif fonts have become more popular to use online, for interface design and for smaller text.
When to use a Sans Serif Font
When creating your brand, you or your designer may want to include a sans serif font in your type palette because of their versaility. According to Adobe, “Sans serif fonts work well where there’s very little room for copy.” The minimal design of sans serif fonts typically takes up less space because there is less flourish to the letterforms.
But we’re not here to rehash the same old sans serif fonts you’ve already heard of or tried. Instead we want to share 9 unique sans serif fonts we think will help give your brand a distinct personality.
Sans Serif Fonts on Canva
With Canva being over a decade old they have accumulate over a thousand fonts (double that if you have Canva Pro). That means choosing a font is as hard as choosing a nail color these days. While there are definitely some fonts on Canva that, in my opinion, have overstayed their welcome (Playlist Display, I’m looking at you), there are also some newer fonts that are waiting for their time to shine.
Related post: 20 Canva Font Pairings to Freshen Up Your Brand
Just because san serif fonts generally tend be simple and minimalistic, doesn’t mean they can’t have any flair. This modern style features some unique details you don’t often see in a sans serif font. Unfortunately, this font doesn’t have a bold or italics version, but we think it will stand out as is.
This sans serif font is subtly eccentric with is narrow width and large x-height. Lazord can be bold and italicized, so it offer some variety and versatility you don’t get with some Canva fonts.
This classy yet friendly font only comes with a single weight and style, but it has just enough personality to be used on its own for your brand in a variety of ways.
This light-weight sans serif font is an all caps only font that can add some regality to your designs. It is available with Canva Pro and is best used for short headlines or buttons.
This bold sans serif font is teetering on the edge of being a display font because of its uniquely thick and organic letterforms. We think for the right brand, this could add playful personality to your designs when used as a heading font.
New Sans Serif Fonts on Google Fonts
Like Canva, Google fonts is a go-to for free and reliable fonts. As of November 2023, there are over 1,500 fonts that can all be used personally and commercially. You can search fonts by category, such as: serifs, handwriting, and of course, sans serifs. Check out some of our favorite some new sans serif fonts available through Google Fonts below.
Related post: 27 Unique Google Font Pairings to Use on Your Website
This wide-style san serif font is clean yet striking. It’s available as a variable font which means you can download in a variety of weights, from thin to extra bold.
Ysabeau has all the old style vibes that we’re here for. This san serif font has so much range if you’re looking for something a little bit more classic. You’ll definitely want to download the whole font family.
A bold san serif? We love her! Belanosima is only available in bold, and we admire her for that. If you use this in your branding, she will steal the show, so make sure your other fonts are more understated.
We love the simplistic design of this sans serif that has a touch of friendliness with its rounded geometric letter forms. This typeface will compliment a range of other fonts nicely, so you can’t lose.
Trust, us. We know that finding fonts is hard and finding fonts that aren’t overused is even harder. But if you take the time to do ample exploration into finding the perfect font, we know it will be well-worth it to give your brand that distinct and memorable look it needs to stand out. We hope this list gives you a good place to start.
Looking for a professional designer, to not only help you pick your fonts, but craft a professional brand identity? Let us know!
Rachael is the founder of Planned in Pink where she assists small business owners with digital marketing strategies and implementation. She is also a bullet journalist and reader!
