PT Serif Font: History, Pairings and How to Use It
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=PT+Serif:wght@400;700&display=swap');
body {
font-family: 'PT Serif', Georgia, serif;
}
h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
font-weight: 700;
}PT Serif is a free transitional serif designed by Alexandra Korolkova, Olga Umpeleva and Vladimir Yefimov and released by ParaType in 2010. It comes in Regular and Bold with italics, and it is best known for its full Latin and Cyrillic support and comfortable reading on screen.
PT Serif
Good type disappears into the reading. The heading sets the tone, and the body text carries the story to the last line. Readers spend most of their time here, so the letters have to stay comfortable from the first paragraph to the tenth.
Set in PT Serif 700 and PT Serif 400See PT Serif on a full page ›
Where PT Serif Came From
PT Serif was designed by Alexandra Korolkova, Olga Umpeleva and Vladimir Yefimov and released by ParaType in 2010. It was the second family in the Public Types of the Russian Federation project, after PT Sans in 2009. The project had financial support from the Russian Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications, and it marked the 300 year anniversary of the civil type introduced by Peter the Great in 1708 to 1710.
The aim was to let people across Russia read and write in their own languages. PT Serif covers Western and Central European Latin and Cyrillic, plus the characters of every title language of the Russian Federation. It is released under the SIL Open Font License.
What PT Serif Looks Like
PT Serif is a transitional serif with humanistic terminals. In practice that means a steady, upright structure softened by curved, slightly calligraphic endings on the strokes. Those softer endings give it a warmer, more handmade feel than most text serifs, and the sturdy shapes stay readable on screen.
The mood is warm and dependable. It feels more friendly than Times New Roman but just as serious, which suits writing that needs to be trusted. It was designed to work with PT Sans, and the two are matched in metrics, proportions and weights.
Weights and Styles
On Google Fonts, PT Serif comes in two weights, Regular 400 and Bold 700, each with a true italic. There is no variable version. ParaType also made caption styles for very small sizes, and these are available on Google Fonts as a separate family, PT Serif Caption, in Regular and Italic.
Use 400 for body text and 700 for headings and emphasis. Try PT Serif at 700 for headings and 400 for text.
Where PT Serif Works Best
PT Serif is at its best for long reading: articles, blogs, reports, government and education sites, and books. It is an especially strong choice for any site that publishes in both Latin and Cyrillic, since the two scripts were designed together. With only two weights, it has less range for display work, so pair it with a bolder heading font if you need big, expressive titles.
Fonts That Pair Well with PT Serif
PT Serif’s designed partner is PT Sans, but any clean sans serif works well for headings and navigation. A geometric sans adds contrast, while a neutral sans keeps the page calm. These pages show it with PT Sans and suggest other good partners:
- PT Serif and PT Sans, the matched pair from the same project
- Montserrat, bold, geometric headings
- Inter, a neutral sans for headings and labels
- Public Sans, plain and institutional
- Montserrat and Merriweather, a similar sturdy screen serif pairing
- Montserrat and Lora, warm serif text under geometric headings
PT Serif as a Times New Roman Alternative
PT Serif is a good free choice when you want the formal, bookish feel of Times New Roman with better readability on screen. Its softer, sturdier shapes feel less formal, and its Cyrillic covers every title language of the Russian Federation. It does not share Times New Roman’s widths, so text will reflow. For other free options, see Fonts similar to Times New Roman.
How to Use PT Serif on Your Site
Load PT Serif from Google Fonts with the CSS in the Use This Font panel, then set it as the font for your body text. List Georgia and serif after it, so text still looks good while the font loads. If your site uses Cyrillic, make sure the Cyrillic subset is included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about PT Serif.
Is PT Serif Free for Commercial Use?
Yes. PT Serif is released under the SIL Open Font License, so you can use it on commercial websites, in apps and in print without paying.
Does PT Serif Support Cyrillic?
Yes. It was made for the Public Types of the Russian Federation project and covers Cyrillic, including the characters of every title language of the Russian Federation.
What Is the Best Font to Pair with PT Serif?
Its designed companion is PT Sans. Montserrat and Inter also work well for headings when you want a more modern look.
Related Pairings
These pairs each have their own page, set in their two fonts.
Montserrat & Merriweather
Good type disappears into the reading. The heading sets the tone, and the body font carries the story to the last line.
Montserrat & Lora
A well-made pair feels like one voice in two registers: a confident headline and a calm, even paragraph underneath.
Inter & Tinos
Contrast does the work. When the heading and the body clearly differ, the page tells readers where to look first.