STIX Two Text Font: History, Pairings and How to Use It

STIX Two Text is a free Times-style serif designed by Ross Mills of Tiro Typeworks for a group of scientific publishers, first published in 2016. It has four weights from 400 to 700 with italics, and it is best known as the text font of the STIX project for scientific and technical publishing.

Where STIX Two Text Came From

STIX stands for Scientific and Technical Information Exchange. The project began in 1995, backed by a group of scientific publishers: the American Mathematical Society, the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, IEEE and Elsevier. Their first fonts were a close copy of Times New Roman, made to cover the huge range of symbols that scientific writing needs.

In 2014 the group commissioned Tiro Typeworks to revise and extend the fonts. Ross Mills designed the new family, assisted by John Hudson and Paul Hanslow, and STIX Two was first published in late 2016. A major update followed at the end of 2020, and STIX Two Text was added to Google Fonts in 2021 under the SIL Open Font License. A companion font, STIX Two Math, handles equations.

What STIX Two Text Looks Like

STIX Two Text is a Times-style serif, but it is not a copy. Tiro based the redesign on the 10 point size of the original metal Times type, which was sturdier than the version most people know today. The result is a little more rugged, with a higher x-height than the first STIX fonts, so it holds up well in small text on paper and on screen.

The mood is serious and scholarly. It looks at home next to formulas and footnotes, and it has the full set of features that careful typesetting needs: small capitals, old style and lining figures, fractions, superscripts and subscripts.

Weights and Styles

STIX Two Text has four weights, Regular 400, Medium 500, SemiBold 600 and Bold 700, each with a matching italic. On Google Fonts it is a variable font with a weight axis from 400 to 700, so you can also use any weight in between. Tiro redrew the weights as a coordinated set, replacing the uneven jump from regular to bold in the older fonts.

Use 400 for body text, 600 for subheads and 700 for main headings. Try STIX Two Text at 700 for headings and 400 for text.

Where STIX Two Text Works Best

STIX Two Text is made for academic and technical writing: research papers, journals, textbooks, theses and documentation that mixes words with mathematics. It also suits any site that wants a formal, traditional serif with more weight options than Times New Roman. It is less suited to playful or casual brands, where its scholarly tone can feel stiff.

Fonts That Pair Well with STIX Two Text

There are no pairing pages for STIX Two Text yet, but the same rule applies as for other Times-style serifs: a clean, neutral sans serif for headings, labels and navigation gives the page contrast without competing with the text. The pages below show partners and similar pairings:

• Inter, a neutral sans for headings and labels
• Public Sans, plain and institutional
• Archivo, firm, compact headings
• Inter and Source Serif 4, a similar sans and serif mix
• Inter and Tinos, another Times-style pairing

STIX Two Text as a Times New Roman Alternative

STIX Two Text shares Times New Roman’s roots, so it gives a page the same academic, traditional feel. It is not built to the same widths, so text will reflow, but in return you get more weights, a sturdier design and better support for scientific symbols. For other free options, see Fonts similar to Times New Roman.

How to Use STIX Two Text on Your Site

Load STIX Two Text from Google Fonts with the CSS in the Use This Font panel, then set it as the font for your body text. List “Times New Roman” and serif after it, so the page keeps a similar look while the font loads. If you only need a few weights, request just those to keep the download small.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about STIX Two Text.

Is STIX Two Text Free for Commercial Use?

Yes. STIX Two Text is released under the SIL Open Font License, so you can use it on commercial websites, in apps and in print without paying.

Is STIX Two Text the Same as Times New Roman?

No. It is a new design inspired by the 10 point size of the original metal Times type, with a higher x-height than the first STIX fonts and different character widths from Times New Roman.

Can I Use STIX Two Text for Equations?

STIX Two Text is for running text. For equations, use its companion STIX Two Math, which is available from the STIX project and is designed to match it.