Serif · Capitalics
Bona Nova
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Bona Nova', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Bona Nova is a free serif by Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski and Andrzej Heidrich, on Google Fonts since 2021. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Bona Nova has an x-height shorter than 77%, is narrower than 66% and, at its regular weight, is of average darkness. Its thickest strokes are 2.1 times its thinnest: high stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Linden Hill
Bona Nova on one light table with its two closest fonts, Linden Hill (83 out of 100) and Erode (81). Linden Hill is 11% narrower, with an x-height 11% shorter; Erode is 14% lighter and 5% narrower, with less stroke contrast.
Bona Nova and Linden Hill laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Bona NovaLinden Hill…
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 Bona Nova 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
Bona Nova in 2 weights
2 weights, 400–700, with italics
- 400 Regular, with its italic
- 700 Bold
04 / Facts
Who made Bona Nova, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski, Andrzej Heidrich
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 2 weights, 400–700, with italics
- On Google Fonts since
- 2021
- Character sets
- cyrillic, cyrillic-ext, greek, hebrew, latin, latin-ext, vietnamese
- 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.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Bona Nova 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 Bona Nova, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Bona Nova under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Bona Nova, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 44.0% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 66.5% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.66lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 49.0% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 41%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 2.13 : 1high stroke contrast
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 77% of serifs
WidthNarrower than 66% of serifs
InkNear the middle of serifs
ContrastNear the middle of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Bona Nova
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Bona Nova's own familyBona Nova SC
- Linden Hill83x-height 11% shorter · 11% narrower
- Erode8114% lighter · 5% narrower · less stroke contrast
- Parastoo7320% narrower · x-height 15% shorter · more stroke contrast
- Cormorant72more stroke contrast · x-height 12% shorter · 20% lighter
- Cormorant Garamond71more stroke contrast · x-height 12% shorter · 20% lighter
- Radley70more stroke contrast
All 100 fonts similar to Bona Nova →Compare side by side →Get Bona Nova on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Bona Nova without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Radley70text 1.2% narrower · same x-height
- Gambetta69same text width · x-height 2.7% taller
- Sedan62text 0.7% narrower · same x-height
- Spectral SC61same text width · x-height 2.3% taller
- Vollkorn59text 1.0% narrower · x-height 4.5% taller
- Baskervville55same text width · x-height 0.9% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Bona Nova loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 110.1% of its size, so running text keeps Bona Nova’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Bona Nova Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 110.10%;
ascent-override: 84.65%;
descent-override: 24.34%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Bona Nova', 'Bona Nova Fallback', serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Bona Nova
Of the 510 home pages that load Bona Nova, 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
- Roboto14%70 sites · 0.7× chance
- Montserrat12%63 sites · 0.9× chance
- Open Sans11%55 sites · 0.6× chance
- Inter10%52 sites · 1× chance
09 / Questions
Questions about Bona Nova
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Bona Nova free for commercial use?
Yes. Bona Nova is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included.
How do I download and install Bona Nova?
FontKind doesn’t host Bona Nova’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 Bona Nova in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Bona Nova 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 Bona Nova in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Bona Nova under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Bona Nova in Figma?
Yes: Bona Nova is in Figma’s font menu with all two weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Bona Nova have?
Bona Nova comes in two weights: Regular (400) and Bold (700), and an italic at 400.
Who designed Bona Nova?
Bona Nova was designed by Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski and Andrzej Heidrich. It has been on Google Fonts since April 2021. Capitalics also made Brygada 1918.
What fonts are similar to Bona Nova?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Linden Hill (83), Erode (81) and Parastoo (73), out of 100. Next to Bona Nova, Linden Hill is 11% narrower, with an x-height 11% shorter. Its own family, listed apart, adds Bona Nova SC. See all 100 fonts like Bona Nova.