Serif · Karolina Lach
Arbutus
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Arbutus', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Arbutus is a free serif by Karolina Lach, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Arbutus has an x-height taller than 84%, is wider than 97% and, at its regular weight, is darker than 97%. Its thickest strokes are 2.0 times its thinnest: high stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of New Rocker
Arbutus on one light table with its two closest fonts, New Rocker (86 out of 100) and Shojumaru (74). New Rocker is 32% narrower, with an x-height 7% shorter and less stroke contrast; Shojumaru is 8% wider, with an x-height 10% taller and less stroke contrast.
Arbutus and New Rocker laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with ArbutusNew Rocker…
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 Arbutus 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
Arbutus 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 Arbutus, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Karolina Lach
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- latin, latin-ext
- 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 “Arbutus”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Arbutus 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 Arbutus, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Arbutus under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Arbutus, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 52.3% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.3% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 70.8% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 67%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 2.01 : 1high stroke contrast
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 84% of serifs
WidthWider than 97% of serifs
InkDarker than 97% of serifs
ContrastNear the middle of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Arbutus
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Arbutus's own familyArbutus Slab
- New Rocker8632% narrower · x-height 7% shorter · less stroke contrast
- Shojumaru74x-height 10% taller · 8% wider · less stroke contrast
- CAT Constantia7133% narrower · less stroke contrast · x-height 11% shorter
- Malebolge Adversarial65x-height 47% taller · 51% lighter · 15% narrower
- Spicy Rice6432% narrower · less stroke contrast · 19% heavier
- Sancreek5924% narrower · x-height 23% taller · 10% lighter
All 100 fonts similar to Arbutus →Compare side by side →Get Arbutus on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Arbutus without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
Fallback while it loads
Until Arbutus loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 158.6% of its size, so running text keeps Arbutus’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Arbutus Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 158.61%;
ascent-override: 61.88%;
descent-override: 16.93%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Arbutus', 'Arbutus Fallback', serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Arbutus
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Arbutus free for commercial use?
Yes. Arbutus 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 “Arbutus”.
How do I download and install Arbutus?
FontKind doesn’t host Arbutus’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 Arbutus in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Arbutus 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 Arbutus in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Arbutus under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Arbutus in Figma?
Yes: Arbutus is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Arbutus have?
Arbutus 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 Arbutus?
Arbutus was designed by Karolina Lach. It has been on Google Fonts since December 2011. Karolina Lach also made Courgette, Pompiere and Amarante.
What fonts are similar to Arbutus?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are New Rocker (86), Shojumaru (74) and CAT Constantia (71), out of 100. Next to Arbutus, New Rocker is 32% narrower, with an x-height 7% shorter and less stroke contrast. Its own family, listed apart, adds Arbutus Slab. See all 100 fonts like Arbutus.