Sans serif · USWDS
Public Sans
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CSSfont-family: 'Public Sans', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Public Sans is a free sans serif by USWDS, Dan Williams, Pablo Impallari and Rodrigo Fuenzalida, on Google Fonts since 2019. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Public Sans has an average x-height, is wider than 68% and, at its regular weight, is of average darkness. Its thickest strokes are 1.3 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Archivo
Public Sans on one light table with its two closest fonts, Archivo (87 out of 100) and Special Gothic (81). Archivo is 6% narrower and 7% heavier; Special Gothic is 10% narrower.
Public Sans and Archivo laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Public SansArchivo…
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 Public Sans 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
Public Sans in 9 weights
9 weights, 100–900, with italics · variable from 100 to 900
Variable weight, 100 to 900
- 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
- 800 Extra bold, with its italic
- 900 Black, with its italic
04 / Facts
Who made Public Sans, and can you use it?
- Designer
- USWDS, Dan Williams, Pablo Impallari, Rodrigo Fuenzalida
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 9 weights, 100–900, with italics
- Variable axes
- Weight 100–900
- 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.
Public Sans 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 Public Sans, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Public Sans under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Public Sans, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.7% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 72.3% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.72lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 52.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 41%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.26 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among sans serifs
Ranked against all 697 sans serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of sans serifs
WidthWider than 68% of sans serifs
InkNear the middle of sans serifs
ContrastMore contrast than 72% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Public Sans
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Archivo876% narrower · 7% heavier
- Special Gothic8110% narrower
- Ranade8013% wider · more stroke contrast
- Miranda Sans79Nearly identical proportions
- Geist78less stroke contrast
- Pontano Sans779% narrower · more stroke contrast · x-height 3% shorter
All 100 fonts similar to Public Sans →Compare side by side →Get Public Sans on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Public Sans without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Miranda Sans79text 1.0% narrower · x-height 0.6% taller
- Geist78same text width · x-height 2.5% taller
- Chivo77text 2.3% wider · x-height 1.2% shorter
- Zalando Sans76same text width · x-height 0.6% shorter
- Schibsted Grotesk76same text width · x-height 2.0% taller
- Asta Sans75text 3.0% narrower · x-height 2.3% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Public Sans loads, this sets Arial in its place at 105.6% of its size, so running text keeps Public Sans’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Public Sans Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 105.57%;
ascent-override: 89.98%;
descent-override: 21.31%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Public Sans', 'Public Sans Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Public Sans
Of the 23,280 home pages that load Public Sans, 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
- Roboto8.1%1,878 sites · 0.4× chance
- Open Sans6.5%1,513 sites · 0.4× chance
- Inter5.2%1,200 sites · 0.5× chance
- Poppins4.5%1,059 sites · 0.4× chance
- Montserrat4.2%981 sites · 0.3× chance
- Lato1.8%417 sites · 0.2× chance
More than chanceCastoro 17×Newsreader 5.8×Urbanist 5.4×
Fonts that go with Public Sans: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerPublic Sans + 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 Public Sans
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Public Sans free for commercial use?
Yes. Public Sans 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 Public Sans?
FontKind doesn’t host Public Sans’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 Public Sans in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Public Sans 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 Public Sans Thin and Public Sans 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 Public Sans in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Public Sans under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Public Sans in Figma?
Yes: Public Sans is in Figma’s font menu with all nine weights and their italics, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Public Sans have?
Public Sans comes in nine weights, from Thin (100) to Black (900), each with an italic. It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 100 to 900.
Who designed Public Sans?
Public Sans was designed by USWDS, Dan Williams, Pablo Impallari and Rodrigo Fuenzalida. It has been on Google Fonts since June 2019. Pablo Impallari also made Raleway, Poetsen One, Libre Caslon Condensed and two more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Public Sans?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Archivo (87), Special Gothic (81) and Ranade (80), out of 100. Next to Public Sans, Archivo is 6% narrower and 7% heavier. See all 100 fonts like Public Sans.