Font pairings can resemble unraveling a complex puzzle, each selection similar to finding the perfect piece to complement your chosen font. Continuing our Font Pairing Saga with the Roboto font family, we at Stimulus are once again answering the question:
 
“What font goes best with ____________?"
 

Choosing just the right font to convey a message beyond just the words can be a daunting task. For this pairing post, we are choosing to take a closer look at Roboto, a modern, rounded sans-serif. We'll delve into its usage as both a header and body text, pondering whether Roboto truly earns its nickname as a "Franken-font."

HISTORY

Roboto, crafted by Christian Robertson, a designer at Google, debuted in 2011 as a system font for Android. Upon its initial release, it faced some backlash for being too similar to other fonts such as Helvetica. Several designers even referred to it as “Fraken-font”. However, Roboto underwent some changes in 2014 to address the backlash. The font became more rounded and friendly after the edits were made, differentiating it from other sans-serif fonts.

Characteristics

Roboto categorized as a sans-serif, which means it does not include serifs on its letterforms. A serif is a small line or stroke attached to the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a letterform. Roboto is both geometric and rounded, giving enough rigidity to provide structure, but allowing the natural curves to convey a sense of friendliness.  This font strikes a balance between rigidity and softness, making it a great choice for digital platforms.

Font Pairing 1: Raleway

Classification: Sans-serif
Use: Body Text

Raleway is a great go-to for a modern sans-serif. While Roboto also belongs to the sans-serif family, Raleway provides contrast with its larger width. Roboto appears condensed and narrow, whereas Raleway's wider profile and shorter ascenders create a spacious text layout, enhancing readability with its rounded forms.

Font Pairing 2: DM Serif display 

Classification: Serif
Use: Header

DM Serif Display is a high-contrast serif font that transitions thick to thin for a bold headline. Paired with Roboto as a body text, DM Serif Display is an effective serif header that provides contrast against a mono-weight sans-serif such as Roboto. The geometric, sharp edges and straight lines also provide a nice juxtaposition against the rounded, smooth appearance of Roboto.

Font Pairing 3: Bebas Neue

Classification: Sans-Serif
Use: Header

Bebas Neue is a great eye-catching headline font because of its heavy weight and all-caps alphabet. This font compliments Roboto because of the similarity in condensed spacing. This pairing is great for designs that require a vertical or thin layout and direct the eye vertically. It is important to consider what a font is designed for when assigning it a use such as headings, subheadings, and body text. Bebas Neue was designed as a display font, making it a great choice for a header with a more simplistic font as body text.

Font Pairing 4: open Sans

Classification: Sans-Serif
Use: Body Text

Choosing two fonts that are very similar can be a difficult task. There must be enough differentiation between the two fonts to provide contrast and allow the viewer to make a distinction between the two. Open Sans shares rounded forms with Roboto but features more defined corners, lending greater structure ideal for body text applications.

Providing you with great font pairings is our pleasure and we truly hope you stick around for more in the future! Be sure to follow us as we continue our journey to provide perfect font pairings for all designers looking to elevate their projects! Let us know what font you want to see next.

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