Sans serif · Joe Prince
Varela
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Varela', sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Varela is a free sans serif by Joe Prince, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 697 sans serifs on FontKind, Varela has an average x-height, is wider than 75% and, at its regular weight, is of average darkness. Its thickest strokes are 1.1 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Amiko
Varela on one light table with its two closest fonts, Amiko (88 out of 100) and Prompt (86). Amiko is 4% wider and 8% lighter, with more stroke contrast; Prompt is 9% heavier, with an x-height 6% shorter and more stroke contrast.
Varela and Amiko laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with VarelaAmiko…
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 Varela 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
Varela 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 Varela, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Joe Prince
- Kind
- Sans serif
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- latin, latin-ext
- 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 “Varela”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Varela 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 Varela, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Varela under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Varela, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.0% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 69.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.73lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 53.9% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 42%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.10 : 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 75% of sans serifs
InkNear the middle of sans serifs
ContrastMore even than 75% of sans serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Varela
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
Varela's own familyVarela Round
- Amiko884% wider · 8% lighter · more stroke contrast
- Prompt86x-height 6% shorter · 9% heavier · more stroke contrast
- Guidy85Nearly identical proportions
- DejaVu Sans82x-height 7% taller · 4% wider · 7% lighter
- Biryani79x-height 8% taller · 4% wider
- Excon79Nearly identical proportions
All 100 fonts similar to Varela →Compare side by side →Get Varela on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Varela without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Guidy85text 2.7% wider · x-height 2.0% taller
- Excon79same text width · x-height 1.6% taller
- Mulish78text 2.8% narrower · x-height 1.5% shorter
- Finlandica Text77same text width · x-height 4.4% taller
- Host Grotesk76text 2.1% narrower · x-height 2.8% shorter
- Spinnaker75text 1.2% wider · x-height 4.3% shorter
Fallback while it loads
Until Varela loads, this sets Arial in its place at 107.9% of its size, so running text keeps Varela’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Varela Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 107.95%;
ascent-override: 94.03%;
descent-override: 26.40%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Varela', 'Varela Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Varela
Of the 2,787 home pages that load Varela, 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
- Montserrat30%824 sites · 2.2× chance
- Open Sans20%555 sites · 1.1× chance
- Roboto11%294 sites · 0.5× chance
- Lato10%286 sites · 1.3× chance
- Varela Round9.4%262 sites · 51× chanceVarela’s own family
- PT Serif7.3%204 sites · 15× chance
More than chanceVarela Round 51×Inconsolata 24×PT Serif 15×
Fonts that go with Varela: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerVarela + 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 Varela
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Varela free for commercial use?
Yes. Varela 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 “Varela”.
How do I download and install Varela?
FontKind doesn’t host Varela’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 Varela in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Varela 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 Varela in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Varela under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Varela in Figma?
Yes: Varela is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Varela have?
Varela 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 Varela?
Varela was designed by Joe Prince. It has been on Google Fonts since June 2011. Joe Prince also made Maven Pro, Questrial, Handlee and three more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Varela?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Amiko (88), Prompt (86) and Guidy (85), out of 100. Next to Varela, Amiko is 4% wider and 8% lighter, with more stroke contrast. Its own family, listed apart, adds Varela Round. See all 100 fonts like Varela.