Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toIdeal Sans
Set in Proza Libre, its closest free match
The closest free alternative to Ideal Sans is Proza Libre, 84% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Andika and Commissioner come next.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Proza Libre
84%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 02
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Andika
79%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 4% shorter x-height
- Sets 3% narrower
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Commissioner
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Sets 6% narrower
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
REM
77%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 3% shorter x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 05
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Cabin
75%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 5% shorter x-height
- Sets 12% narrower
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 06
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Quattrocento Sans
74%Same spiritGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 11% shorter x-height
- Sets 10% narrower
- A touch lighter
- Same stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Ideal Sans against Proza Libre, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Proza Libre comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Ideal Sans Proza Libre
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Ideal Sans for Proza Libre and nothing reflows. This sets Proza Libre at Ideal Sans’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Proza Libre", sans-serif;
letter-spacing: -0.003em; /* to Ideal Sans’s line length */About Ideal Sans
Ideal Sans is a paid sans serif designed by Jonathan Hoefler, published by Hoefler&Co. in 2011.
See Ideal Sans on typography.com ↗Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Ideal Sans?
Proza Libre. Measured letter by letter, it’s 84% alike: same x-height, same width, same weight, same stroke contrast. Andika, Commissioner, REM, Cabin and Quattrocento Sans are also close.
Is there a free version of Ideal Sans?
No. Ideal Sans is a paid sans serif from Hoefler&Co.. 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. Ideal Sans was measured as typography.com draws it: 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 Proza Libre change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Proza Libre 0.1% smaller with a touch less letter-spacing, so text written for Ideal Sans keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Ideal Sans 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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