Serif · Mike Abbink
IBM Plex Serif
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'IBM Plex Serif', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
IBM Plex Serif is a free serif by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday, on Google Fonts since 2018. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, IBM Plex Serif has an x-height taller than 81%, is wider than 69% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 71%. Its thickest strokes are 1.9 times its thinnest: moderate stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of DejaVu Serif
IBM Plex Serif on one light table with its two closest fonts, DejaVu Serif (92 out of 100) and PT Serif Caption (86). DejaVu Serif is 6% wider and 7% heavier, with more stroke contrast; PT Serif Caption is 14% heavier and 5% wider, with more stroke contrast.
IBM Plex Serif and DejaVu Serif laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with IBM Plex SerifDejaVu Serif…
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 IBM Plex Serif 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
IBM Plex Serif in 7 weights
7 weights, 100–700, with italics
- 100 Thin, with its italic
- 200 Extra light, with its italic
- 300 Light, with its italic
- 400 Regular, with its italic
- 500 Medium, with its italic
- 600 Semibold, with its italic
- 700 Bold, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made IBM Plex Serif, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Mike Abbink, Bold Monday
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 7 weights, 100–700, with italics
- On Google Fonts since
- 2018
- Character sets
- cyrillic, cyrillic-ext, 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, under another name. Not as “Plex”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
IBM Plex Serif 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 IBM Plex Serif, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists IBM Plex Serif under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
IBM Plex Serif, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.6% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 69.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 53.8% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 38%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.90 : 1moderate stroke contrast
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 81% of serifs
WidthWider than 69% of serifs
InkLighter than 71% of serifs
ContrastNear the middle of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to IBM Plex Serif
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
IBM Plex Serif's own familyIBM Plex Sans CondensedIBM Plex SansIBM Plex Mono
- DejaVu Serif926% wider · more stroke contrast · 7% heavier
- PT Serif Caption8614% heavier · more stroke contrast · 5% wider
- Charis SIL8516% heavier · 7% narrower · x-height 7% shorter
- Montagu Slab8413% heavier · more stroke contrast · 4% wider
- Glegoo81x-height 11% taller · less stroke contrast · 15% lighter
- Domine8010% heavier · x-height 5% taller · 3% wider
All 100 fonts similar to IBM Plex Serif →Compare side by side →Get IBM Plex Serif on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap IBM Plex Serif without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Domine80text 2.8% wider · x-height 4.7% taller
- Kay Pho Du70text 2.5% narrower · x-height 1.8% shorter
- Minipax70same text width · x-height 0.8% taller
- Sawarabi Mincho69text 0.6% wider · x-height 3.1% shorter
- Roboto Slab66text 1.1% wider · x-height 2.4% taller
- Antic Slab65text 1.1% wider · x-height 3.1% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until IBM Plex Serif loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 117.5% of its size, so running text keeps IBM Plex Serif’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'IBM Plex Serif Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 117.49%;
ascent-override: 87.24%;
descent-override: 23.41%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'IBM Plex Serif', 'IBM Plex Serif Fallback', serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with IBM Plex Serif
Of the 4,566 home pages that load IBM Plex Serif, 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
- IBM Plex Sans29%1,308 sites · 48× chanceIBM Plex Serif’s own family
- Inter19%874 sites · 1.9× chance
- Roboto8.6%392 sites · 0.4× chance
- Poppins7.7%351 sites · 0.7× chance
- Open Sans7.5%344 sites · 0.4× chance
- IBM Plex Mono6%274 sites · 23× chanceIBM Plex Serif’s own family
More than chanceIBM Plex Sans Condensed 57×IBM Plex Sans 48×IBM Plex Mono 23×
Fonts that go with IBM Plex Serif: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerIBM Plex Serif + 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 IBM Plex Serif
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is IBM Plex Serif free for commercial use?
Yes. IBM Plex Serif 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 “Plex”.
How do I download and install IBM Plex Serif?
FontKind doesn’t host IBM Plex Serif’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds 14 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 IBM Plex Serif in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: IBM Plex Serif 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 IBM Plex Serif Thin and IBM Plex Serif SemiBold. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is IBM Plex Serif in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for IBM Plex Serif under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is IBM Plex Serif in Figma?
Yes: IBM Plex Serif is in Figma’s font menu with all seven weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does IBM Plex Serif have?
IBM Plex Serif comes in seven weights, from Thin (100) to Bold (700), each with an italic.
Who designed IBM Plex Serif?
IBM Plex Serif was designed by Mike Abbink and Bold Monday. It has been on Google Fonts since March 2018. Mike Abbink also made Lilex.
What fonts are similar to IBM Plex Serif?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are DejaVu Serif (92), PT Serif Caption (86) and Charis SIL (85), out of 100. Next to IBM Plex Serif, DejaVu Serif is 6% wider and 7% heavier, with more stroke contrast. Its own family, listed apart, adds IBM Plex Sans Condensed, IBM Plex Sans and IBM Plex Mono. See all 100 fonts like IBM Plex Serif.