Sans serif · Vernon Adams
BenchNine
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'BenchNine', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
BenchNine is a free sans serif by Vernon Adams, on Google Fonts since 2012. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, BenchNine has an x-height shorter than 75%, is narrower than 98% and, at its regular weight, is darker than 63%. Its thickest strokes are 1.3 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
Compare with Sofia Sans Extra Condensed →Compare with another font
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Sofia Sans Extra Condensed
BenchNine on one light table with its two closest fonts, Sofia Sans Extra Condensed (85 out of 100) and Economica (83). Sofia Sans Extra Condensed is 7% heavier and 3% narrower, with less stroke contrast; Economica is 7% wider and 14% lighter, with an x-height 9% taller.
BenchNine and Sofia Sans Extra Condensed laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with BenchNineSofia Sans Extra Condensed…
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 BenchNine 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 / Weights
BenchNine in 3 weights
3 weights, 300–700
- 300 Light
- 400 Regular
- 700 Bold
04 / Facts
Who made BenchNine, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Vernon Adams
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 3 weights, 300–700
- On Google Fonts since
- 2012
- 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 “BenchNine”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
BenchNine 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 BenchNine, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists BenchNine under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
BenchNine, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 49.1% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.2% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.70lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 31.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 44%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.28 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 75% of sans serifs
WidthNarrower than 98% of sans serifs
InkDarker than 63% of sans serifs
ContrastMore contrast than 74% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to BenchNine
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Sofia Sans Extra Condensed85less stroke contrast · 7% heavier · 3% narrower
- Economica83x-height 9% taller · 7% wider · 14% lighter
- Asap Condensed8131% wider · x-height 7% taller
- Yanone Kaffeesatz7923% heavier · 10% wider
- Pramukh Rounded7825% narrower · x-height 16% taller · 10% heavier
- Barlow Condensed7720% wider · x-height 3% taller
All 100 fonts similar to BenchNine →Compare side by side →Get BenchNine on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap BenchNine without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
None of the fonts that look most like BenchNine sets text to its width and x-height: a swap would move lines.
Fallback while it loads
Until BenchNine loads, this sets Arial in its place at 64.2% of its size, so running text keeps BenchNine’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'BenchNine Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 64.20%;
ascent-override: 153.62%;
descent-override: 54.76%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'BenchNine', 'BenchNine Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with BenchNine
Of the 1,334 home pages that load BenchNine, 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 Sans24%324 sites · 1.3× chance
- Roboto23%301 sites · 1.1× chance
- Google Sans11%147 sites · 4.3× chance
- Montserrat8.2%109 sites · 0.6× chance
- Lato7.4%99 sites · 0.9× chance
- Roboto Slab4.5%60 sites · 3.2× chance
Not all of Roboto with Google Sans is design: Google’s maps and other widgets load Roboto and Google Sans into the pages they sit on.
More than chanceGoogle Sans 4.3×Roboto Slab 3.2×
Pair checkerBenchNine + 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 BenchNine
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is BenchNine free for commercial use?
Yes. BenchNine 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 “BenchNine”.
How do I download and install BenchNine?
FontKind doesn’t host BenchNine’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds three font files, one per style. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is BenchNine in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: BenchNine isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. On Windows, its weights beyond Regular and Bold show as fonts of their own, such as BenchNine Light. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is BenchNine in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for BenchNine under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is BenchNine in Figma?
Yes: BenchNine is in Figma’s font menu with all three weights, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does BenchNine have?
BenchNine comes in three weights: Light (300), Regular (400) and Bold (700).
Who designed BenchNine?
BenchNine was designed by Vernon Adams. It has been on Google Fonts since September 2012. Vernon Adams also made Bangers, Nunito, Oswald and 53 more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to BenchNine?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Sofia Sans Extra Condensed (85), Economica (83) and Asap Condensed (81), out of 100. Next to BenchNine, Sofia Sans Extra Condensed is 7% heavier and 3% narrower, with less stroke contrast. See all 100 fonts like BenchNine.