Serif · Nicole Fally
Vast Shadow
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Vast Shadow', serif; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Vast Shadow is a free serif by Nicole Fally, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 354 serifs on FontKind, Vast Shadow has an average x-height, is wider than 99% and, at its regular weight, is darker than 88%.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of BioRhyme Expanded
Vast Shadow on one light table with its two closest fonts, BioRhyme Expanded (80 out of 100) and BioRhyme (75). BioRhyme Expanded is 28% wider and 20% lighter; BioRhyme is 24% narrower and 7% heavier.
Vast Shadow and BioRhyme Expanded laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Vast ShadowBioRhyme Expanded…
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 Vast Shadow 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
Vast Shadow 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 Vast Shadow, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Nicole Fally
- Kind
- Serif
- 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 “Vast” or “Vast Shadow”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Vast Shadow 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 Vast Shadow, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Vast Shadow under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Vast Shadow, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 47.1% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 60.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.78lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 80.4% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 50%letter box filled
Where it stands among serifs
Ranked against all 354 serifs on FontKind
x-heightNear the middle of serifs
WidthWider than 99% of serifs
InkDarker than 88% of serifs
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Vast Shadow
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- BioRhyme Expanded8028% wider · 20% lighter
- BioRhyme7524% narrower · 7% heavier
- Ewert69x-height 49% taller · 8% narrower · 15% lighter
- Stint Ultra Expanded6718% narrower · 34% lighter
- Montenegrin Gothic One6726% narrower · 15% lighter · x-height 5% taller
- Gondrin6626% narrower · x-height 13% taller
All 100 fonts similar to Vast Shadow →Compare side by side →Get Vast Shadow on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Vast Shadow without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
None of the fonts that look most like Vast Shadow sets text to its width and x-height: a swap would move lines.
Fallback while it loads
Until Vast Shadow loads, this sets Times New Roman in its place at 173.3% of its size, so running text keeps Vast Shadow’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Vast Shadow Fallback';
src: local('Times New Roman');
size-adjust: 173.33%;
ascent-override: 52.82%;
descent-override: 19.30%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Vast Shadow', 'Vast Shadow Fallback', serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Vast Shadow
Of the 452 home pages that load Vast Shadow, 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 Sans42%192 sites · 2.3× chance
- Varela Round20%91 sites · 110× chance
- Montserrat13%58 sites · 1× chance
- Poppins13%57 sites · 1.1× chance
More than chanceVarela Round 110×Open Sans 2.3×
Pair checkerVast Shadow + 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 Vast Shadow
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Vast Shadow free for commercial use?
Yes. Vast Shadow 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 “Vast” or “Vast Shadow”.
How do I download and install Vast Shadow?
FontKind doesn’t host Vast Shadow’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 Vast Shadow in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Vast Shadow 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 Vast Shadow in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Vast Shadow under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Vast Shadow in Figma?
Yes: Vast Shadow is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Vast Shadow have?
Vast Shadow 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 Vast Shadow?
Vast Shadow was designed by Nicole Fally. It has been on Google Fonts since October 2011. Nicole Fally also made Hammersmith One, Pinyon Script, Stoke and four more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Vast Shadow?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are BioRhyme Expanded (80), BioRhyme (75) and Ewert (69), out of 100. Next to Vast Shadow, BioRhyme Expanded is 28% wider and 20% lighter. See all 100 fonts like Vast Shadow.