Sans serif · MADType
Abel
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Abel', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Abel is a free sans serif by MADType, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Abel has an average x-height, is narrower than 88% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 89%. Its thickest strokes are 1.1 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Ostrich Sans
Abel on one light table with its two closest fonts, Ostrich Sans (84 out of 100) and Mohave (83). Ostrich Sans is 44% lighter and 14% narrower, with an x-height 35% taller; Mohave is 22% heavier, with an x-height 8% taller.
Abel and Ostrich Sans laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with AbelOstrich Sans…
Most different letters first; the figure is the share of ink the fonts have in common. Where the fonts agree the letters cancel to black: every white sliver is a real difference.
02 / Letters
The Abel alphabet
Capitals, lowercase, figures and signs · weight 400
Tap the letters you like, here and in other fonts, to find the fonts whose letters look most like them.
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Sizes
Abel at every size
1 weight (400) · six sizes, in your words
- 12 px
- 16 px
- 24 px
- 36 px
- 48 px
- 72 px
04 / Facts
Who made Abel, and can you use it?
- Designer
- MADType
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- latin
- Licence
- SIL Open Font License 1.1
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes.
- Changes
- Yes, under another name. Not as “Abel”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Abel is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Most likely. Under More fonts, in Sheets and Slides too. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Google Fonts first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- Yes. Built in, nothing to install. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Abel, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Abel under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Abel, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 50.0% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.0% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.71lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 42.1% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 34%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.06 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of sans serifs
WidthNarrower than 88% of sans serifs
InkLighter than 89% of sans serifs
ContrastMore even than 82% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Abel
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Ostrich Sans84x-height 35% taller · 44% lighter · 14% narrower
- Mohave8322% heavier · x-height 8% taller
- Marvel8210% narrower · less stroke contrast
- Advent Pro803% narrower
- Khand75x-height 14% taller · 15% heavier · 6% narrower
- Barlow Semi Condensed7414% heavier · 3% wider
All 100 fonts similar to Abel →Compare side by side →Get Abel on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Abel without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Barlow Semi Condensed74text 1.3% wider · x-height 1.2% taller
- Ropa Sans70text 1.0% narrower · x-height 2.4% shorter
- Akshar67text 0.7% wider · x-height 1.0% taller
- News Cycle65text 1.4% wider · x-height 3.0% taller
- Cuprum58text 1.1% wider · same x-height
- Plainsound Condensed55text 1.9% wider · x-height 4.0% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until Abel loads, this sets Arial in its place at 86.4% of its size, so running text keeps Abel’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Abel Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 86.37%;
ascent-override: 113.41%;
descent-override: 34.15%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Abel', 'Abel Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Abel
Of the 12,345 home pages that load Abel, the share that load each font too, and how that compares with chance.
Same page, not which sets the headings · HTTP Archive , 1 September 2026
- Open Sans23%2,805 sites · 1.3× chance
- Roboto18%2,189 sites · 0.9× chance
- Montserrat10%1,245 sites · 0.8× chance
- Lato8.8%1,087 sites · 1.1× chance
- Oswald6.1%754 sites · 2.1× chance
- Poppins6%741 sites · 0.5× chance
More than chanceActor 16×ABeeZee 12×Source Code Pro 8.3×
Fonts that go with Abel: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerAbel + any fontHow many of the 6,276,350 home pages counted load the two together, and how that compares with chance.Check this font with any other09 / Questions
Questions about Abel
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Abel free for commercial use?
Yes. Abel is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included; a changed version may not be called “Abel”.
How do I download and install Abel?
FontKind doesn’t host Abel’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds a single font file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Abel in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Abel isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Abel in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Abel under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Abel in Figma?
Yes: Abel is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Abel have?
Abel comes in one weight, Regular (400). Ask for bold and most apps thicken the letters themselves: a faux bold, not a drawn one.
Who designed Abel?
Abel was designed by MADType. It has been on Google Fonts since August 2011. MADType also made Quantico, Lustria, Aldrich and one more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Abel?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Ostrich Sans (84), Mohave (83) and Marvel (82), out of 100. Next to Abel, Ostrich Sans is 44% lighter and 14% narrower, with an x-height 35% taller. See all 100 fonts like Abel.