Howdy! Welcome back to our free font of the month series where we dive into the ins and outs of a featured free Google Font.

We did it folks. We made it to the end of the year (a decade, really) and let’s face it— you’ve probably been busy shopping and scoring big on Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. If your wallet needs a break and you just so happen to be looking for a fabulous font, you’re in the right place! Rounding us out for the year is free Google font, Martel Sans. It’s a streamlined sans serif that can work alone to create a dynamic hierarchy (shout out to its 7 weights), or it can be paired with a variety of fonts and font styles.

Martel Sans is a versatile sans serif that was created for being used in long passages of text. Because this was the typeface designer’s specific intent, Martel Sans would be a great choice for a body font. That’s not to say it couldn’t work for headlines or titles, though. Like I mentioned earlier, this font comes in 7 different weights, allowing one to create dynamic looks just with this font alone.

But hey, Martel Sans wants some friends. Here are three different free Google fonts that work well with it. Let’s dive in!

Bebas Neue

First up is Bebas Neue. Bebas Neue is a sans serif display font that is set in all uppercase letters. Since its release in 2010 it has been a popular choice for companies across all industries and mediums. It comes in only one weight but its influence packs a hefty punch. The letterforms aren’t particularly unique and in many ways it is just a straightforward, thick, sans serif display font. This however makes it malleable and a great option for most industries looking to make a statement. It works with Martel Sans because of their pretty dramatic differences. Bebas Neue draws the user in with its bold appearance, and Martel Sans softens the look with its sleek qualities. Pairing Martel Sans with Bebas Neue would be a great option for brands within the Beauty or Home and Garden industries for its bold and modern appearance.

Kanit

For a contemporary feel with futuristic flair, look no further than Kanit. This sans serif comes in a whopping 18 styles that provide all the versatility one could need. Kanit works particularly well with Martel Sans because of the stark contrast between the letterforms. The example here shows Kanit in its bold weight to create a very clear hierarchy between the headline and body copy. The simplified characters of Martel Sans balance the look in a way that is clear and legible. Kanit’s letterforms have a distinct geometric look that feel techy and masculine. For that reason, this pairing would work great for companies within the Technology or Automotive industries.

Antic Slab

Martel Sans will wrap up 2019 in the front seat as the headline font, and the charming slab serif, Antic Slab, will close things as the body font. Remember I mentioned earlier that Martel Sans’ different weights would come in handy? The bold weight works here to add some distinction between the two areas of text. Antic Slab comes in one style and has perhaps some of the slightest, most discreet serifs I’ve ever seen on a slab serif font. Although modest, the serifs are still effective in making Antic Slab very readable, especially on screens. It works well with Martel Sans because of their shared tall letterforms, but the serifs on Antic Slab provide just the right amount of flair to create enough distinction between the font styles. This pairing has a friendly feel to it, making it a great option for industries in the Kids Clothing or Toy industries.

Well there you have it! Martel Sans has proven to be quite the versatile sans serif. It works as the body font or the headline font, and comes in a nice variety of weights that can work together to create an engaging design with depth and diversity. Check back next month as we welcome the new year with another free Google font and all its potential. See you then!