Resume fonts. 12 free picks that stay clear at 10 to 12 points, in print or as a PDF.
Google Sans, Inter and Lato lead 12 resume fonts with an x-height of at least 0.5 em, stroke contrast no higher than 2.2, at least four weights and an italic.
Google Sans
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.1, letters 0.51 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.51 em · 4 weights · 4 italics
Inter
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.1, letters 0.54 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.55 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
Lato
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.3, letters 0.49 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.51 em · 5 weights · 5 italics
Open Sans
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.2, letters 0.52 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.54 em · 6 weights · 6 italics
Poppins
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.2, letters 0.56 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.55 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
Roboto
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.2, letters 0.5 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.53 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
Archivo
Sans for the body · stroke contrast 1.2, letters 0.5 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.53 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
Merriweather
Serif for a classic page · stroke contrast 2, letters 0.56 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.56 em · 7 weights · 7 italics
Bitter
Serif for a classic page · stroke contrast 1.4, letters 0.53 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.53 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
Noto Serif
Serif for a classic page · stroke contrast 1.8, letters 0.55 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.54 em · 9 weights · 9 italics
IBM Plex Serif
Serif for a classic page · stroke contrast 1.9, letters 0.54 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.52 em · 7 weights · 7 italics
Literata
Serif for a classic page · stroke contrast 1.7, letters 0.56 em wide on average
Loading font…
x-height 0.51 em · 8 weights · 8 italics
The list holds 7 sans serifs and 5 serifs, and every one is likely in Google Docs.
Compare fonts for a resume
12 / 12
x-height 0.51 em · pick 1 of 12
Google Sans
Project manager, 8 years leading product teams
Loading font…
Why Google Sans fits a resume: x-height 0.51 em, lowercase 71% of the capital height, no display style, stroke contrast 1.1, letters 0.51 em wide on average, 4 weights, and 4 italics.
Print for a resume: printed, or sent as a PDF.
Sans serifs for a modern resume
Google Sans, Inter and Lato are the most used of the 7 sans serifs that pass.
Serifs for a traditional resume
Merriweather has the tallest lowercase of the 5 serifs, x-height 0.56 em. Test the full resume at your intended size before choosing between these serifs.
Can I use them on a resume I print or send as a PDF?
| Free font | Licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Google Sans | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Inter | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Lato | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Open Sans | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Poppins | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Roboto | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Archivo | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Merriweather | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Bitter | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Noto Serif | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| IBM Plex Serif | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
| Literata | OFL 1.1 | ✓ |
- Print (printed, or sent as a PDF): yes for all 12, OFL 1.1 Condition 5.
- OFL 1.1 text
Which of the resume fonts to pick
Inter suits the main text of a resume that will be printed or sent as a PDF, with an x-height of 0.55 em and stroke contrast of 1.1. Lato is a useful pick for contact details where space is tight, thanks to its average letter width of 0.49 em. For section headings, Bitter offers 9 weights and 9 italics, giving you choices within one family.
Sizes for a resume
At 11 pt the lowercase of Merriweather stands 6.1 pt tall, the most of these, and that of Lato 5.6 pt, the least.
Lato sets the most words to a line, its letters 0.49 em wide on average, while Poppins runs widest at 0.56 em.
Google Sans has the steadiest strokes, contrast 1.1; Merriweather the most, 2, still under the cap of 2.2.
To pair two of the resume fonts, take Google Sans from the sans serifs for the body text and Merriweather from the serifs for your name and the headings.
What the rule selected: the 12 resume fonts and their numbers
| Free font | x-height (em) | Contrast | Width (em) | Weights | Italics | Google Fonts rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sans | 0.51 | 1.1 | 0.51 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Inter | 0.55 | 1.1 | 0.54 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Lato | 0.51 | 1.3 | 0.49 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Open Sans | 0.54 | 1.2 | 0.52 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Poppins | 0.55 | 1.2 | 0.56 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Roboto | 0.53 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Archivo | 0.53 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 9 | 9 | 5 |
| Merriweather | 0.56 | 2 | 0.56 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| Bitter | 0.53 | 1.4 | 0.53 | 9 | 9 | 30 |
| Noto Serif | 0.54 | 1.8 | 0.55 | 9 | 9 | 50 |
| IBM Plex Serif | 0.52 | 1.9 | 0.54 | 7 | 7 | 144 |
| Literata | 0.51 | 1.7 | 0.56 | 8 | 8 | 184 |
Resume fonts: questions
Which free font is best for a resume?
Google Sans, the most used of these 12 on Google Fonts (rank 2), with x-height 0.51 em and stroke contrast 1.1; Inter and Lato come next at ranks 2 and 2.
Are these resume fonts free for print?
All 12, from Google Sans to Literata, are under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which allows print (printed, or sent as a PDF).
Can I use these resume fonts in Google Docs?
Likely, all 12 of them: our catalogue marks Google Sans, Inter and the rest as likely in the Google Docs font menu, which the rule for a resume requires.
Which of these resume fonts has the most weights?
Inter, with 9 weights and 9 italics; Poppins has 9 weights and Roboto has 9 weights.
How were these resume fonts chosen?
Read at 10 to 12 points: a big lowercase, steady strokes, normal width, a family for every heading, and in Google Docs. 77 of the 1,674 free fonts we checked pass that rule for a resume. The 12 here are the most used on Google Fonts, from Google Sans at rank 2 to Literata at rank 184, one font a family.