Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toBig Caslon
Set in Libre Caslon Display, its closest free match
The closest free alternative to Big Caslon is Libre Caslon Display, 66% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Prata and IM Fell English come next.
The four closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Libre Caslon Display
66%Same spiritGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 10% shorter x-height
- Sets 7% narrower
- A touch lighter
- Less stroke contrast
- 02
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Prata
62%Same spiritGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 10% taller x-height
- Sets 20% wider
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
IM Fell English
56%Same spiritGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Same width
- A touch heavier
- Less stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
IM Fell French Canon
56%Same spiritGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Sets 7% wider
- Same weight
- Less stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Big Caslon against Libre Caslon Display, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Libre Caslon Display comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Big Caslon Libre Caslon Display
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Big Caslon for Libre Caslon Display and nothing reflows. This sets Libre Caslon Display at Big Caslon’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Libre Caslon Display", serif;
font-size: 1.116em; /* up to Big Caslon’s x-height */
letter-spacing: -0.012em; /* to Big Caslon’s line length */About Big Caslon
Matthew Carter’s display face after the largest sizes cut in William Caslon’s foundry in the 1700s, with all their weight and swagger.
Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Big Caslon?
Libre Caslon Display. Measured letter by letter, it’s 66% alike: 10% shorter x-height, sets 7% narrower, a touch lighter, less stroke contrast. Prata, IM Fell English and IM Fell French Canon are also close.
Is there a free version of Big Caslon?
No. Big Caslon is a paid serif from Carter & Cone. Every alternative on this page is free for commercial use, under the SIL Open Font License.
How were these alternatives chosen?
By measuring the letters, not by comparing names or tags. Big Caslon was measured from a licensed copy: its proportions, the width of every letter and figure, its weight, its stroke contrast and the shapes of telling letters like a, g, R and Q. The same measurements were taken of 1,506 free fonts, and these came closest. Each match was then checked by eye.
Will Libre Caslon Display change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Libre Caslon Display 11.6% larger with a touch less letter-spacing, so text written for Big Caslon keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Big Caslon in the wild?
Point Fontsight at any text on any website. It names the font, and offers a free look-alike you can try on the page, line breaks intact.
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