Sans serif · Gabriel Lam
Darker Grotesque
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Darker Grotesque', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Darker Grotesque is a free sans serif by Gabriel Lam and ViệtAnh Nguyễn, on Google Fonts since 2019. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Darker Grotesque has an x-height shorter than 97%, is narrower than 91% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 95%. Its thickest strokes are 1.1 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Phlatt Grotesk
Darker Grotesque on one light table with its two closest fonts, Phlatt Grotesk (77 out of 100) and Cabinet Grotesk (72). Phlatt Grotesk is 23% wider and 20% heavier, with an x-height 18% taller; Cabinet Grotesk is 20% wider and 15% heavier, with an x-height 18% taller.
Darker Grotesque and Phlatt Grotesk laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Darker GrotesquePhlatt Grotesk…
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 Darker Grotesque 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
Darker Grotesque in 7 weights
7 weights, 300–900 · variable from 300 to 900
Variable weight, 300 to 900
- 300 Light
- 400 Regular
- 500 Medium
- 600 Semibold
- 700 Bold
- 800 Extra bold
- 900 Black
04 / Facts
Who made Darker Grotesque, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Gabriel Lam, ViệtAnh Nguyễn
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 7 weights, 300–900
- Variable axes
- Weight 300–900
- On Google Fonts since
- 2019
- Character sets
- 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.
Darker Grotesque 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 Darker Grotesque, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Darker Grotesque under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Darker Grotesque, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 40.6% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 56.3% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.72lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 39.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 30%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.14 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 97% of sans serifs
WidthNarrower than 91% of sans serifs
InkLighter than 95% of sans serifs
ContrastMore even than 61% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Darker Grotesque
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Phlatt Grotesk7723% wider · x-height 18% taller · 20% heavier
- Cabinet Grotesk7220% wider · x-height 18% taller · 15% heavier
- Panamera7125% wider · x-height 16% taller · more stroke contrast
- Gruppo7129% wider · 29% lighter · x-height 8% shorter
- Zen Kaku Gothic New7022% wider · x-height 18% taller · 9% heavier
- CMU Bright70x-height 16% taller · 16% wider · 8% heavier
All 100 fonts similar to Darker Grotesque →Compare side by side →Get Darker Grotesque on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Darker Grotesque without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
None of the fonts that look most like Darker Grotesque sets text to its width and x-height: a swap would move lines.
Fallback while it loads
Until Darker Grotesque loads, this sets Arial in its place at 81.3% of its size, so running text keeps Darker Grotesque’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Darker Grotesque Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 81.31%;
ascent-override: 130.37%;
descent-override: 36.41%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Darker Grotesque', 'Darker Grotesque Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Darker Grotesque
Of the 1,750 home pages that load Darker Grotesque, 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%247 sites · 0.7× chance
- Open Sans12%202 sites · 0.6× chance
- Inter8.7%152 sites · 0.9× chance
- Poppins8.3%146 sites · 0.8× chance
- Montserrat8.3%145 sites · 0.6× chance
- Raleway4.5%78 sites · 1.1× chance
More than chanceSpace Grotesk 5.3×DM Sans 1.7×
Fonts that go with Darker Grotesque: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerDarker Grotesque + 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 Darker Grotesque
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Darker Grotesque free for commercial use?
Yes. Darker Grotesque 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 Darker Grotesque?
FontKind doesn’t host Darker Grotesque’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds one variable file for every style, and a static folder with a file per style: install one set or the other, not both. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Darker Grotesque in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Darker Grotesque 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 Darker Grotesque Light and Darker Grotesque Black. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Darker Grotesque in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Darker Grotesque under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Darker Grotesque in Figma?
Yes: Darker Grotesque is in Figma’s font menu with all seven weights, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Darker Grotesque have?
Darker Grotesque comes in seven weights, from Light (300) to Black (900). It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 300 to 900.
Who designed Darker Grotesque?
Darker Grotesque was designed by Gabriel Lam and ViệtAnh Nguyễn. It has been on Google Fonts since June 2019. ViệtAnh Nguyễn also made Be Vietnam Pro and Viaoda Libre.
What fonts are similar to Darker Grotesque?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Phlatt Grotesk (77), Cabinet Grotesk (72) and Panamera (71), out of 100. Next to Darker Grotesque, Phlatt Grotesk is 23% wider and 20% heavier, with an x-height 18% taller. See all 100 fonts like Darker Grotesque.