Google fonts is a free to use font library that's generally already embedded in lots of products like figma & canva, is easy to work with in code, is downloadable, and is fully legally safe for commercial purposes.
While there's lots of other free font websites with prettier fonts, I never really know if it's really risk free, so as a rule of thumb I tend to stick to Google fonts.
btw to access any of these, just look them up on google or go to fonts.google.com. Google updates the library regularly too.
Serif
- Newsreader
- here it's paired with inter.
- Spectral
- A little thicker than newsreader and feels a bit heavier, but a good option overall
Sans
- Inter
- great readability, web standard, a bit overused, but I still like it
- Source Sans Pro
- it's kinda cute hahaha has a petite vibe
- similar to inter but a bit more rounded imo
- but need to account for the different height, somehow it feels smaller so need to bump up the pt on this
- Droid sans
- a narrower sans, which also maintains serifs on the I's
Artistic
- Space Grotesk
- Very futuristic font. I use this sparingly but useful for certain posters
- Instrument Serif
- harder to read, narrow serif, with no weight options, but pretty
- also very futuristic and AI-ish
- Syne
- This is a mix of sans and superfuturistic wide fat fonts. it's a very interesting variable width fonts which according to Cleve gives "super artsy / gallery vibe". I really like how flexible it is.
Other useful font information:
- pt vs rem vs px - know what you need
- variable weight fonts are really convenient. google fonts has a bunch of them. makes the brand very flexible.
- when doing branding I tend to prioritise fonts that have multiple weight options for future-proofing. Best if it is 2 axis variable fonts too.
- bigger companies design their own typefaces. weird right
- serif is good for headlines but not great for lots of text in paragraphs. sans is nice for both, but when used for headlines it gives more of a comfortable, approachable feel rather than a polished, sophisticated feel.