Sans serif · Andrew Paglinawan
Quicksand
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Quicksand', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Quicksand is a free sans serif by Andrew Paglinawan, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Quicksand has an average x-height, is wider than 62% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 96%. Its thickest strokes are 1.1 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Zen Maru Gothic
Quicksand on one light table with its two closest fonts, Zen Maru Gothic (96 out of 100) and Manjari (88). Zen Maru Gothic is 7% narrower and 8% heavier, with an x-height 7% shorter; Manjari is 28% heavier and 4% narrower, with an x-height 3% shorter.
Quicksand and Zen Maru Gothic laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with QuicksandZen Maru Gothic…
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 Quicksand 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
Quicksand in 5 weights
5 weights, 300–700 · variable from 300 to 700
Variable weight, 300 to 700
- 300 Light
- 400 Regular
- 500 Medium
- 600 Semibold
- 700 Bold
04 / Facts
Who made Quicksand, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Andrew Paglinawan
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 5 weights, 300–700
- Variable axes
- Weight 300–700
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- 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, under another name. Not as “Quicksand”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Quicksand 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 Quicksand, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Quicksand under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Quicksand, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.6% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 70.0% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.74lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 52.2% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 30%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.07 : 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 62% of sans serifs
InkLighter than 96% of sans serifs
ContrastMore even than 79% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Quicksand
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Zen Maru Gothic96x-height 7% shorter · 7% narrower · 8% heavier
- Manjari8828% heavier · 4% narrower · x-height 3% shorter
- Belgika84x-height 55% taller · 34% wider · 46% lighter
- Kodchasan8019% heavier · 9% wider · x-height 3% shorter
- Hubballi80x-height 24% shorter · 14% narrower
- Amazonas8021% heavier · 5% narrower · x-height 5% taller
All 100 fonts similar to Quicksand →Compare side by side →Get Quicksand on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Quicksand without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Manjari88text 2.8% narrower · x-height 3.1% shorter
- Varela Round70text 2.1% wider · same x-height
- M PLUS Rounded 1c66text 1.8% wider · x-height 0.7% taller
- Nanum Gothic66same text width · x-height 5.0% taller
- Chiron GoRound TC60text 2.1% narrower · x-height 4.2% shorter
- Rubik47text 0.6% wider · x-height 0.7% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until Quicksand loads, this sets Arial in its place at 105.5% of its size, so running text keeps Quicksand’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Quicksand Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 105.46%;
ascent-override: 94.82%;
descent-override: 23.71%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Quicksand', 'Quicksand Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Quicksand
Of the 70,091 home pages that load Quicksand, 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
- Roboto13%8,793 sites · 0.6× chance
- Open Sans12%8,272 sites · 0.7× chance
- Montserrat7.7%5,396 sites · 0.6× chance
- Poppins7.3%5,135 sites · 0.7× chance
- Lato4.3%3,028 sites · 0.5× chance
- Raleway3.1%2,169 sites · 0.7× chance
More than chanceZen Maru Gothic 4.2×Fredoka 3.7×Sacramento 3.1×
Fonts that go with Quicksand: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerQuicksand + 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 Quicksand
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Quicksand free for commercial use?
Yes. Quicksand 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 “Quicksand”.
How do I download and install Quicksand?
FontKind doesn’t host Quicksand’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 Quicksand in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Quicksand 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 Quicksand Light and Quicksand 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 Quicksand in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Quicksand under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Quicksand in Figma?
Yes: Quicksand is in Figma’s font menu with all five weights, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Quicksand have?
Quicksand comes in five weights: Light (300), Regular (400), Medium (500), SemiBold (600) and Bold (700). It is a variable font: it takes any weight from 300 to 700.
Who designed Quicksand?
Quicksand was designed by Andrew Paglinawan. It has been on Google Fonts since October 2011.
What fonts are similar to Quicksand?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Zen Maru Gothic (96), Manjari (88) and Belgika (84), out of 100. Next to Quicksand, Zen Maru Gothic is 7% narrower and 8% heavier, with an x-height 7% shorter. See all 100 fonts like Quicksand.