Serif · Capitalics
Bona Nova SC
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Bona Nova SC', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Bona Nova SC is a free serif by Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski and Andrzej Heidrich, on Google Fonts since 2024. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Bona Nova SC 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 Erode
Bona Nova SC on one light table with its two closest fonts, Erode (88 out of 100) and Judson (81). Erode is 14% lighter and 5% narrower, with less stroke contrast; Judson has more stroke contrast.
Bona Nova SC and Erode laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Bona Nova SCErode…
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 SC 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.
- a
- b
- c
- d
- e
- f
- g
- h
- i
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- o
- p
- q
- r
- s
- t
- u
- v
- w
- x
- y
- z
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Weights
Bona Nova SC in 2 weights
2 weights, 400–700, with italics
- 400 Regular, with its italic
- 700 Bold
04 / Facts
Who made Bona Nova SC, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski, Andrzej Heidrich
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 2 weights, 400–700, with italics
- On Google Fonts since
- 2024
- 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 SC 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 SC, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Bona Nova SC under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Bona Nova SC, 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 SC
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Bona Nova SC's own familyBona Nova
- Erode8814% lighter · 5% narrower · less stroke contrast
- Judson81more stroke contrast
- Parastoo8020% narrower · x-height 15% shorter · more stroke contrast
- Cormorant Upright7714% narrower · x-height 10% shorter · 16% lighter
- Halant73x-height 15% taller · 18% lighter
- Yrsa739% narrower · x-height 5% shorter · 8% heavier
All 100 fonts similar to Bona Nova SC →Compare side by side →Get Bona Nova SC on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Bona Nova SC without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Radley69text 1.2% narrower · same x-height
- Gambetta67same text width · x-height 2.7% taller
- Alice60text 2.1% wider · x-height 4.0% taller
- Maname59text 0.6% narrower · x-height 4.8% taller
- Sedan SC59text 0.7% narrower · same x-height
- Baskervville SC57same text width · x-height 0.9% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Bona Nova SC loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 110.1% of its size, so running text keeps Bona Nova SC’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Bona Nova SC 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 SC', 'Bona Nova SC Fallback', serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Bona Nova SC
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Bona Nova SC free for commercial use?
Yes. Bona Nova SC 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 SC?
FontKind doesn’t host Bona Nova SC’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 SC in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Bona Nova SC 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 SC in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Bona Nova SC under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Bona Nova SC in Figma?
Yes: Bona Nova SC 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 SC have?
Bona Nova SC comes in two weights: Regular (400) and Bold (700), and an italic at 400.
Who designed Bona Nova SC?
Bona Nova SC was designed by Capitalics, Mateusz Machalski and Andrzej Heidrich. It has been on Google Fonts since June 2024. Capitalics also made Brygada 1918.
What fonts are similar to Bona Nova SC?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Erode (88), Judson (81) and Parastoo (80), out of 100. Next to Bona Nova SC, Erode is 14% lighter and 5% narrower, with less stroke contrast. Its own family, listed apart, adds Bona Nova. See all 100 fonts like Bona Nova SC.