Display · Vernon Adams
Smythe
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Smythe', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Smythe is a free display font by Vernon Adams, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 554 display faces on FontKind, Smythe has an x-height shorter than 82%, is narrower than 92% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 60%. Its thickest strokes are 1.4 times its thinnest: moderate stroke contrast.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Amarante
Smythe on one light table with its two closest fonts, Amarante (83 out of 100) and Bigelow Rules (73). Amarante is 35% wider and 11% heavier, with more stroke contrast; Bigelow Rules is 25% narrower, with more stroke contrast and an x-height 14% taller.
Smythe and Amarante laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with SmytheAmarante…
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 Smythe 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 / Sizes
Smythe at every size
1 weight (400) · six sizes, in your words
- 12 px
- 16 px
- 24 px
- 36 px
- 48 px
- 72 px
04 / Facts
Who made Smythe, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Vernon Adams
- Kind
- Display
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- latin
- 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 “Smythe”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Smythe 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 Smythe, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Smythe under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Smythe, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 47.0% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 64.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.73lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 35.5% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 45%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.41 : 1moderate stroke contrast
Where it stands among display faces
Ranked against all 554 display faces on FontKind
x-heightSmaller than 82% of display faces
WidthNarrower than 92% of display faces
InkLighter than 60% of display faces
ContrastMore contrast than 61% of display faces
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Smythe
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Amarante8335% wider · more stroke contrast · 11% heavier
- Bigelow Rules73more stroke contrast · 25% narrower · x-height 14% taller
- Aujournuit Condensed71more stroke contrast · 28% lighter · x-height 7% taller
- Aujournuit Densed65more stroke contrast · 34% lighter · 12% wider
- Katibeh65more stroke contrast · x-height 29% shorter · 20% heavier
- Mystery Quest6433% wider · x-height 24% taller · 10% lighter
All 100 fonts similar to Smythe →Compare side by side →Get Smythe on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Smythe without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
Fallback while it loads
Until Smythe loads, this sets Arial in its place at 69.2% of its size, so running text keeps Smythe’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Smythe Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 69.20%;
ascent-override: 132.87%;
descent-override: 33.87%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Smythe', 'Smythe Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Smythe
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Smythe free for commercial use?
Yes. Smythe 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 “Smythe”.
How do I download and install Smythe?
FontKind doesn’t host Smythe’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds a single font file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Smythe in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Smythe isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Smythe in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Smythe under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Smythe in Figma?
Yes: Smythe is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Smythe have?
Smythe comes in one weight, Regular (400). Ask for bold and most apps thicken the letters themselves: a faux bold, not a drawn one.
Who designed Smythe?
Smythe was designed by Vernon Adams. It has been on Google Fonts since April 2011. Vernon Adams also made Bangers, Nunito, Oswald and 53 more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Smythe?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Amarante (83), Bigelow Rules (73) and Aujournuit Condensed (71), out of 100. Next to Smythe, Amarante is 35% wider and 11% heavier, with more stroke contrast. See all 100 fonts like Smythe.