Serif · Claus Eggers Sørensen
Playfair Display
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Playfair Display is a free serif by Claus Eggers Sørensen, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Playfair Display has an x-height taller than 81%, is of average width and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 76%. Its thickest strokes are 4.8 times its thinnest: high stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Bacasime Antique
Playfair Display on one light table with its two closest fonts, Bacasime Antique (81 out of 100) and Baskervville (81). Bacasime Antique is 14% narrower, with an x-height 19% shorter; Baskervville has an x-height 15% shorter and less stroke contrast.
Playfair Display and Bacasime Antique laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Playfair DisplayBacasime Antique…
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 Playfair Display 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
Playfair Display in 6 weights
6 weights, 400–900, with italics · variable from 400 to 900
Variable weight, 400 to 900
- 400 Regular, with its italic
- 500 Medium, with its italic
- 600 Semibold, with its italic
- 700 Bold, with its italic
- 800 Extra bold, with its italic
- 900 Black, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made Playfair Display, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Claus Eggers Sørensen
- Kind
- Serif
- Styles
- 6 weights, 400–900, with italics
- Variable axes
- Weight 400–900
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- cyrillic, 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 “Playfair Display”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Playfair Display 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 Playfair Display, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Playfair Display under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Playfair Display, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.5% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.73lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 50.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 37%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 4.85 : 1high stroke contrast
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 81% of serifs
WidthNear the middle of serifs
InkLighter than 76% of serifs
ContrastMore contrast than 94% of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Playfair Display
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Playfair Display's own familyPlayfair Display SCPlayfair
- Bacasime Antique81x-height 19% shorter · 14% narrower
- Baskervville81x-height 15% shorter · less stroke contrast
- Gambarino8110% heavier · 5% narrower · less stroke contrast
- Baskervville SC77x-height 15% shorter · less stroke contrast
- Gilda Display77x-height 8% shorter · less stroke contrast · 10% lighter
- Noto Serif Display75more stroke contrast · 8% wider · 11% lighter
All 100 fonts similar to Playfair Display →Compare side by side →Get Playfair Display on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Playfair Display without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Sprat Condensed66text 2.2% narrower · x-height 2.9% shorter
- Jomolhari66same text width · x-height 2.5% shorter
- Hedvig Letters Serif60text 2.5% wider · x-height 1.0% taller
- Inria Serif58text 2.6% wider · x-height 3.9% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Playfair Display loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 112.6% of its size, so running text keeps Playfair Display’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Playfair Display Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 112.62%;
ascent-override: 96.07%;
descent-override: 22.29%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Playfair Display', 'Playfair Display Fallback', serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Playfair Display
Of the 166,316 home pages that load Playfair Display, 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 Sans18%29,741 sites · 1× chance
- Roboto15%25,586 sites · 0.8× chance
- Montserrat15%25,476 sites · 1.1× chance
- Inter13%21,915 sites · 1.3× chance
- Poppins12%19,766 sites · 1.1× chance
- Lato9.8%16,292 sites · 1.2× chance
More than chancePlayfair Display SC 14×Shadows Into Light 13×Norwester 8.7×
Fonts that go with Playfair Display: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerPlayfair Display + 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 Playfair Display
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Playfair Display free for commercial use?
Yes. Playfair Display 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 “Playfair Display”.
How do I download and install Playfair Display?
FontKind doesn’t host Playfair Display’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds two variable files, one for the uprights and one for the italics, 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 Playfair Display in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Playfair Display 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 Playfair Display Medium and Playfair Display 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 Playfair Display in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Playfair Display under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Playfair Display in Figma?
Yes: Playfair Display is in Figma’s font menu with all six weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Playfair Display have?
Playfair Display comes in six weights, from Regular (400) to Black (900), each with an italic. It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 400 to 900.
Who designed Playfair Display?
Playfair Display was designed by Claus Eggers Sørensen. It has been on Google Fonts since November 2011. Claus Eggers Sørensen also made Bacasime Antique and Inknut Antiqua.
What fonts are similar to Playfair Display?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Bacasime Antique (81), Baskervville (81) and Gambarino (81), out of 100. Next to Playfair Display, Bacasime Antique is 14% narrower, with an x-height 19% shorter. Its own family, listed apart, adds Playfair Display SC and Playfair. See all 100 fonts like Playfair Display.