Abril Fatface Font: History, Pairings and How to Use It
Abril Fatface is a free, high-contrast display serif designed by Veronika Burian and José Scaglione of TypeTogether and released in 2011. Google Fonts carries one very heavy style, Regular 400, made for large headlines. It pairs best with a clean sans serif for body text, such as Lato, Poppins or Source Sans 3. The preview below shows it on a sample page.
What Kind of Font Is Abril Fatface
Abril Fatface is a fat face: an extra-heavy version of the Didone, or modern, serif style. Didones have strong vertical stress, very thin hairlines and serifs, and thick main strokes, which gives them their crisp, high-contrast look. Fat faces push that contrast as far as it goes. The style first appeared in early 19th-century Britain, when printers needed letters that could be read from across the street on posters and handbills.
TypeTogether says Abril Fatface was inspired by the heavy titling fonts used on advertising posters in 19th-century Britain and France. The result keeps the drama of those posters but with cleaner curves and more even color, so it looks current rather than antique. Its round, ball-ended letters and tight spacing give headlines a confident, slightly glamorous feel.
Who Designed Abril Fatface
Abril Fatface comes from Abril, a larger type family that Veronika Burian and José Scaglione designed for newspapers, magazines and digital media. TypeTogether, their independent foundry, released Abril in 2011, and the family won Typographica’s Best Typefaces of 2011 and a gold prize at the 2012 European Design Awards.
The full Abril family is commercial and includes text weights for reading, display weights for headlines and matching italics. Abril Fatface is the one display style that TypeTogether made free under the SIL Open Font License. It sits between the Extrabold and Black display weights, which is why it looks so heavy even though it is labeled Regular.
When to Use Abril Fatface
Abril Fatface is a headline font. It looks its best large, at roughly 32 pixels and up on screen, where its thin hairlines have room to show. It works well for magazine and blog titles, posters, book covers, menus, product packaging, event and wedding invitations, and short logos or wordmarks. A single line of Abril Fatface can carry a whole layout, so it usually needs little else in the way of decoration.
Avoid it for body text, buttons and small labels. At small sizes the thin strokes break up and the heavy ones fill in, and long passages become tiring to read. Use it in title case or sentence case rather than long runs of capitals, and give headlines a slightly tight line height of about 1.1 to 1.2 so stacked lines read as one unit.
The Best Fonts to Pair with Abril Fatface
Because Abril Fatface is so loud, the best partners are quiet. A clean sans serif with a normal x-height is the classic choice, and a calm text serif works for more traditional pages. Each button below loads the pair into the preview so you can see it on a real page.
Abril Fatface and Lato
Lato is a warm humanist sans serif by Łukasz Dziedzic, and it is the most common partner for Abril Fatface for good reason. Its semi-rounded details echo the round shapes in Abril without competing, and it stays readable in long paragraphs. This pair suits blogs, magazines and lifestyle brands.
Abril Fatface and Poppins
Poppins is a geometric sans serif with near-circular letters. Next to the high contrast of Abril Fatface it creates a lively mix of classic and modern, which works for food, events, beauty and small consumer brands. Use Poppins at weight 400 for body text so the page does not get too dark.
Abril Fatface and Source Sans 3
Source Sans 3, from Adobe, is a neutral sans serif built for long reading. It lets Abril Fatface do all the talking and keeps articles calm and easy to scan. This is a strong pairing for news sites, long features and editorial pages with a lot of text.
Abril Fatface and Lora
Lora is a text serif with gentle calligraphic curves. Pairing two serifs works here because they do different jobs: Abril Fatface is dramatic and heavy, while Lora is soft and moderate in contrast. The pair has a bookish, romantic feel that suits recipes, wedding sites and literary blogs.
Abril Fatface and Work Sans
Work Sans is a grotesque sans serif with a slightly wide, straightforward build. It gives Abril Fatface a crisp, poster-like partner, good for studios, portfolios, event pages and anything with a modern editorial look.
Abril Fatface and Karla
Karla is a grotesque sans serif with a few quirky shapes. It adds a little personality without fighting the headline, which makes it a nice fit for independent shops, cafes and small brands that want to look friendly but polished.
Abril Fatface Font Pairings at a Glance
The six pairings above, side by side. Abril Fatface is used at its only weight, 400, in every case.
| Heading Font | Body Font | Feel | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abril Fatface 400 | Lato 400 | Classic, warm | Blogs, magazines, lifestyle |
| Abril Fatface 400 | Poppins 400 | Lively, modern | Food, events, beauty |
| Abril Fatface 400 | Source Sans 3 400 | Calm, editorial | News, long features |
| Abril Fatface 400 | Lora 400 | Bookish, romantic | Recipes, weddings, literary |
| Abril Fatface 400 | Work Sans 400 | Crisp, poster-like | Studios, portfolios, events |
| Abril Fatface 400 | Karla 400 | Friendly, polished | Shops, cafes, small brands |
Fonts Similar to Abril Fatface
If you like the look but want a little less weight, or a slightly different flavor, these free Google Fonts are close relatives. Each preview keeps Lato as the body font so you can compare them directly.
DM Serif Display
DM Serif Display has the same high-contrast Didone roots but is lighter and narrower. It is the best choice when Abril Fatface feels too heavy for a page.
Playfair Display Black
Playfair Display at its Black weight, 900, comes close to the darkness of Abril Fatface, with sharper, more transitional details. Unlike Abril Fatface, Playfair Display has a full range of weights and italics.
Bodoni Moda
Bodoni Moda is a revival of the classic Bodoni style. At its heaviest weights it has the same fashion-magazine contrast as Abril Fatface, with more vertical, upright shapes.
Gloock
Gloock is a high-contrast serif with softer, slightly wedge-shaped serifs. It is a little less formal than Abril Fatface and works well for warm, editorial headlines.
How to Use Abril Fatface on Your Website
Abril Fatface is free on Google Fonts, so you can load it with a single line in your site’s head. Pick a pairing above and select Use These Fonts at the top of the preview to copy the exact code for that pair, including the CSS for headings and body text.
One detail matters more with Abril Fatface than with most fonts. It has only one weight, so set your headings to font-weight: 400. Many themes make headings bold by default, and when a font has no bold, the browser fakes one by thickening the letters, which smudges the thin hairlines. The same goes for italics: Google Fonts has no Abril Fatface italic, so avoid italic headlines or the browser will slant the letters artificially.
Using Abril Fatface in Canva, Google Docs, Word and Figma
Abril Fatface is built into Canva’s font list, so you can choose it from the font menu with no upload. In Google Docs, open the font menu, choose More fonts and search for Abril Fatface. Figma includes Google Fonts by default, so it is available there too.
For Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or other desktop apps, download the font from Google Fonts, install the file on your computer, then restart the app. If you share the document with others, they need the font installed too, or export a PDF to keep the look intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Abril Fatface font.
Is Abril Fatface Free for Commercial Use?
Yes. Abril Fatface is released under the SIL Open Font License, which allows personal and commercial use, including logos, websites, printed products and designs you sell. The only thing you cannot do is sell the font files on their own.
Does Abril Fatface Have Bold or Italic Styles?
Not on Google Fonts. The free version has one style, Regular 400, which is already about as heavy as a Black weight. Italics and other weights exist in the commercial Abril family from TypeTogether.
Is Abril Fatface a Serif Font?
Yes. It is a high-contrast display serif in the Didone tradition, specifically a fat face, the extra-heavy poster style that became popular in 19th-century Britain.
Can You Use Abril Fatface for Body Text?
It is not a good idea. Abril Fatface is designed for large sizes, and its thin strokes and heavy weight make paragraphs hard to read. Pair it with a sans serif such as Lato or Source Sans 3 for body text instead.
What Font Is Similar to Abril Fatface?
DM Serif Display is the closest lighter alternative, and Playfair Display at weight 900 is the closest match in darkness. Bodoni Moda and Gloock are also good high-contrast choices, all free on Google Fonts.
Use These Fonts
On WordPress? Most themes, including GeneratePress, have a Typography setting where you can pick these two fonts by name instead.
How to Divide Perennials in Fall
Dividing crowded clumps every few years keeps hostas, daylilies and asters blooming. Here is when to do it, what you need, and how to replant.
- Best time
- 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes
- Tools
- Spade, garden fork, sharp knife
- Time needed
- About 20 minutes per clump
Most perennials slow down after a few years in the same spot. The center of the clump gets woody and crowded, the roots compete for water, and you see fewer flowers each summer. Dividing the plant fixes all three problems at once, and it gives you free plants for the rest of the garden.
Fall is the easier season for most gardeners. The soil is still warm, so new roots keep growing, while the cool air means the leaves lose less water. Plants divided in late September usually settle in well before winter, and you will notice the difference in next year’s bloom.
When to Divide
As a rule, divide spring and early summer bloomers in fall, and late bloomers like asters in spring. Give each division at least a month of root growth before the ground freezes. In zone 5, that usually means finishing by early October.
Signs a Clump Needs Dividing
- The center has died out, leaving a ring of growth.
- Flowers are fewer and smaller than last year.
- The plant has spread past its spot in the bed.
Divide in fall when the soil is still warm and the air is cool. The roots keep growing for weeks after the leaves stop.Tom Reyes, head gardener
| Plant | Divide every | Best season |
|---|---|---|
| Hosta | 3 to 4 years | Spring or early fall |
| Daylily | 3 to 5 years | Late summer |
| Bearded iris | 3 to 4 years | July to August |
| Aster | 2 to 3 years | Spring |
| Peony | Rarely needed | Late September |
How to Divide a Perennial
- Water the plant well the day before so the root ball holds together.
- Cut back the leaves to about 6 inches to make the clump easier to handle.
- Dig around the clump, 6 inches out from the stems, and lift it with a fork.
- Split it with a spade or knife so each piece has three to five growing points.
- Replant at the same depth, water deeply, and add 2 inches of mulch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I divide perennials while they are blooming?
You can, but the plant puts its energy into flowers instead of roots. Wait until blooms fade, or cut the flowers off when you divide.
How small can a division be?
Each piece needs healthy roots and at least one growing point. Smaller pieces take a season or two longer to fill out.
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I planned my whole front border in an evening and bought exactly what fit. Nothing died in a corner this year.
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