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EB Garamond
About EB Garamond
- Source
- Google Fonts ↗
- Classification
- serif
- Weights
- Variable (100-900)
- Features
- Variable, Italics
Free to use, modify, and distribute. Can be used commercially without attribution.
What's allowed?
- ✓ Client work
- ✓ SaaS / Web apps
- ✓ YouTube / Video
- ✓ Sell products
- ✓ Print materials
Note: Derivative fonts must use the same license.
Full license guide →EB Garamond is an open-source revival of Claude Garamont's famous humanist typefaces from the mid-16th century. Designed by Georg Duffner and Octavio Pardo, it represents one of the most faithful and scholarly Garamond revivals available, based on original sources at the Plantin-Moretus Museum.
History and Design
Georg Duffner began the EB Garamond project in 2010, naming it after the Égenolff-Berner specimen sheet of 1592, which showcases many of Garamont's original designs. Unlike commercial Garamond revivals that often incorporate later modifications, EB Garamond aims to faithfully reproduce the original 16th-century punches.
The italic designs are based on the work of Robert Granjon, Garamont's contemporary and collaborator. This pairing accurately reflects how the original types were used in period printing.
Why EB Garamond Stands Out
EB Garamond distinguishes itself through scholarly rigor and authentic historical character. The project involved extensive research into original specimens and punches, resulting in a revival that captures the subtle irregularities and warmth of hand-cut type. The extensive character set includes polytonic Greek, Cyrillic, and Vietnamese.
Technical Features
- Variable font: Full weight range from regular to extra bold
- True italics: Based on Robert Granjon's original designs
- Extensive language support: Latin, Cyrillic, Greek (including polytonic)
- OpenType features: Small caps, ligatures, old-style figures
- Historical accuracy: Based on 16th-century specimens
Best Use Cases
EB Garamond excels in:
- Book design: Literary fiction, poetry, and classical texts
- Academic publishing: Dissertations, journals, and scholarly monographs
- Editorial design: Long-form articles and feature content
- Multilingual documents: Exceptional Greek and Cyrillic support
Usage Tips
EB Garamond reads best at 10-12pt for body text. Use the regular weight for extended reading and reserve heavier weights for emphasis. The old-style figures blend naturally with running text. Enable ligatures for the most authentic appearance. For display use, consider Cormorant Garamond's higher contrast instead.
Is EB Garamond on Google Fonts?
Yes, EB Garamond is available for free on Google Fonts. Get EB Garamond on Google Fonts ↗
Alternative For (28)
EB Garamond is a free alternative to the following premium fonts:
Scholarly serif revival with similar warmth and humanist character
Scholarly revival of Claude Garamont's originals with meticulous historical accuracy
Similar transitional character with refined details for book design
Classic formal alternative (different style but similar use)
Scholarly revival of Claude Garamont's originals with meticulous historical accuracy
Exceptional revival based on Claude Garamont's original 16th-century designs
Scholarly revival of Claude Garamont's originals with meticulous historical accuracy
Shares classical elegance though as a serif, captures Optima's refined spirit
Compare EB Garamond
See how EB Garamond compares to other fonts side by side.
Variable Font Axes
EB Garamond is a variable font with 1 axis you can fine-tune.
| Axis | Min | Default | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| wght | 400 | 400 | 800 |
Font Pairings
Fonts that pair well with EB Garamond based on contrast and complementary design characteristics.
Performance
Key metrics for evaluating EB Garamond in production.
Font Metrics
Fallback CSS Overrides
Apply these overrides to Georgia to minimize layout shift when loading EB Garamond.
@font-face {
font-family: 'EB Garamond Fallback';
src: local('Georgia');
ascent-override: 100.7%;
descent-override: 29.8%;
line-gap-override: 0%;
size-adjust: 83.08%;
}How to Use EB Garamond
Copy these code snippets to quickly add EB Garamond to your project.
CSS code for EB Garamond
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=EB+Garamond:wght@100..900&display=swap');HTML code for EB Garamond
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=EB+Garamond:wght@100..900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">Tailwind code for EB Garamond
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
fontFamily: {
'eb-garamond': ['"EB Garamond"', 'sans-serif'],
},
},
},
}
// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-eb-garamond">Your text here</p>Next.js code for EB Garamond
// Using next/font (Next.js 13+)
import { EB_Garamond } from 'next/font/google';
const eb_garamond = EB_Garamond({
subsets: ['latin'],
weight: ['100', '200', '300', '400', '500', '600', '700', '800', '900'],
});
export default function Component() {
return (
<p className={eb_garamond.className}>
Your text here
</p>
);
}
// Or using inline styles with Google Fonts link:
// <p style={{ fontFamily: '"EB Garamond"' }}>Your text</p>Expo and React Native code for EB Garamond
// Install: npx expo install @expo-google-fonts/eb-garamond expo-font
import { useFonts, EB_Garamond_400Regular } from '@expo-google-fonts/eb-garamond';
export default function App() {
const [fontsLoaded] = useFonts({
EB_Garamond_400Regular,
});
if (!fontsLoaded) return null;
return (
<Text style={{ fontFamily: 'EB_Garamond_400Regular' }}>
Your text here
</Text>
);
}