Add to ChromeBraveFree alternatives toKarbon
The closest free alternative to Karbon is Encode Sans Semi Expanded, 81% alike by measurement, free from Google Fonts. Ubuntu Sans and Author come next.
Karbon, by Kris Sowersby for Klim Type Foundry, 2009. Measured on klim.co.nz, October 23rd, 2026.
The six closest.
- 01
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Encode Sans Semi Expanded
81%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 24% taller x-height
- Sets 24% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 02
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Ubuntu Sans
78%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 19% taller x-height
- Sets 17% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 03
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Author
78%Close matchFontshare · ITF Free Font License
- Same x-height
- Same width
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 04
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Raleway
76%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 20% taller x-height
- Sets 21% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
- 05
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Actor
76%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 15% taller x-height
- Sets 11% wider
- A touch heavier
- Same stroke contrast
- 06
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Typography is what language looks like.
Encode Sans Expanded
76%Close matchGoogle Fonts · SIL Open Font License
- 24% taller x-height
- Sets 32% wider
- Same weight
- Same stroke contrast
Measured, side by side.
Karbon against Encode Sans Semi Expanded, from the letters themselves. These numbers are why Encode Sans Semi Expanded comes first, and what the CSS below corrects for.
Karbon Encode Sans Semi Expanded
Keep your line breaks.
Swap Karbon for Encode Sans Semi Expanded and nothing reflows. This sets Encode Sans Semi Expanded at Karbon’s x-height and line length, so headings, buttons and paragraphs break where they did.
font-family: "Encode Sans Semi Expanded", sans-serif;
font-size: 0.804em; /* down to Karbon’s x-height */
letter-spacing: 0.003em; /* to Karbon’s line length */About Karbon
Karbon is a paid sans serif designed by Kris Sowersby, published by Klim Type Foundry in 2009.
See Karbon on klim.co.nz ↗Questions, answered.
What is the best free alternative to Karbon?
Encode Sans Semi Expanded. Measured letter by letter, it’s 81% alike: 24% taller x-height, sets 24% wider, same weight, same stroke contrast. Ubuntu Sans, Author, Raleway, Actor and Encode Sans Expanded are also close.
Is there a free version of Karbon?
No. Karbon is a paid sans serif from Klim Type Foundry. Every alternative on this page is free for commercial use, under the SIL Open Font License and ITF Free Font License.
How were these alternatives chosen?
By measuring the letters, not by comparing names or tags. Karbon was measured as klim.co.nz, October 23rd 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 Encode Sans Semi Expanded change my layout?
Not if you use the CSS on this page. It sets Encode Sans Semi Expanded 19.6% smaller with a touch more letter-spacing, so text written for Karbon keeps its x-height and its line lengths, and lines break in the same places.
Spot Karbon 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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