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.

Kicking off the penultimate month of the year is the charming and sophisticated font, Zilla Slab. If you’re on the search for a serif font with a contemporary feel, look no further. This slab serif puts a twist on the classic industrial feel by incorporating smooth curves to create an unexpectedly sophisticated look. Whether you’re operating an industrial store or running a fashion boutique, Zilla Slab (and its hefty 10 weights!) will give you plenty to be thankful for this November.

FYI: A slab serif font is a type of serif font that is characterized by its thick, block-like serifs. This differs from a traditional serif font which usually incorporates angles on the serifs.

Although relatively new within the world of fonts, slab serifs have made a mighty impact on the design world since their introduction in the early 19th century. Their block-like “feet” give the font a distinct prominence that stand out in any application the font is used. The variety of weights included with Zilla Slab provides a versatility that, at one’s discretion, can work for very bold looks and soft looks alike. Zilla Slab’s features make it a perfect contender for both headlines and body copy. Serif fonts are a popular choice for body copy due to the serifs that guide one’s eye down each sentence, and slab serifs are no exception. Zilla Slab contrasts smooth curves with sharp, block-like serifs to create a friendly approachability that will work across many industries. A medical device company may find success in using this font for it’s geometric architecture, where on the other hand, a toy store may embrace its friendly approach to a serif font.

I’ve picked three different fonts that can work alongside Zilla Slab to create a harmonious look that adds meaning to your design. Let’s dive in!

Niramit

First up we have Niramit. Niramit is a sans serif font that comes in 12 styles with rounded letterforms with an angled accent at the ends of some strokes for a fun surprise. Its modern look compliments Zilla Slab by contrasting against Zilla Slab’s thick features. The example I created here shows Zilla Slab in its Semibold weight to create enough contrast between the headline and the body copy. This classic pairing would be a great option for brands within the Home and Garden industry for its sleek, contemporary appearance.  

Montserrat

Montserrat is the next lucky contender. This sans serif comes in a whopping 18 styles which all can mixed and matched with Zilla Slab’s styles to create bold looks that will not lack in diversity. When Montserrat goes bold, it goes bold. The example here uses Montserrat as a headline in its Black weight, creating a huge impact. Zilla Slab takes the backseat as the body font and offsets the chunky features of Montserrat. Montserrat is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to work with virtually any industry. This specific pairing would work great for companies within the Clothing and Apparel industries due to its sophisticated nature. Individually each font has sophisticated features but together in context, those features are enhanced.

Roboto Condensed

Closing us out for the month is none other than Roboto Condensed. It is, you guessed it, a condensed sans serif that comes in a modest 6 weights (at least in comparison to our other picks of the month). Roboto Condensed has largely geometric letterforms with friendly curves that are begging for a blocky counterpart. Enter— Zilla Slab. Zilla Slab as the body font in this font pairing perfectly contrasts the tall, sleek letterforms of Roboto Condensed. Roboto Condensed as the headline font gives off a chiseled vibe while Zilla Slab softens the look with its friendly attributes. The balance in softness created by this font pairing makes it a great contender for use within the medical or technology industries due to its strong yet approachable look.

Quite the opposite from last month, the headline and body copy fonts for each of this month’s font pairings could be swapped and work just as effectively. That’s one of the great things about a slab serif like Zilla Slab. It’s versatile nature allows it to work in so many different applications. Check back next month as we wrap up 2019 by exploring a new font and diving into its potential!