Source Serif Pro

Source Serif Pro font preview
Replaces: Tiempos (88%) | OFL-1.1 | Updated: Jan 2026

About Source Serif Pro

Classification
serif
Weights
Variable (100-900)
Features
Variable, Italics
SIL Open Font License 1.1

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 →
Get Source Serif Pro Free ↗

Source Serif Pro is a serif typeface designed by Frank Grießhammer and released by Adobe in 2014 as part of the Source font family. It was created to complement Source Sans Pro and Source Code Pro, providing a complete type system for editorial and publishing applications.

History and Design

Frank Grießhammer developed Source Serif Pro while working at Adobe. The design draws inspiration from the transitional serifs of Pierre Simon Fournier, blending historical elegance with contemporary functionality. The typeface features a moderate x-height, subtle bracketed serifs, and classical proportions that perform beautifully both in print and on screen.

Why Source Serif Pro is Popular

Source Serif Pro has become a go-to choice for designers seeking a high-quality free serif alternative to premium typefaces like Georgia, Times, and Tiempos. Its comprehensive character set, excellent language support, and professional design make it suitable for newspapers, magazines, books, and digital publications. The Adobe pedigree ensures exceptional quality and ongoing development.

Technical Features

  • Variable font: Continuous weight axis from ExtraLight (200) to Black (900)
  • Optical sizes: Designed to work well at both text and display sizes
  • Extensive character set: Supports Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, and Vietnamese
  • OpenType features: Small caps, old-style figures, tabular figures, and ligatures
  • Comprehensive family: Part of the larger Source family ecosystem

Best Use Cases

Source Serif Pro excels in:

  • Long-form content: Optimized for extended reading in articles and books
  • Editorial design: Perfect for newspapers and magazines
  • Academic publishing: Professional appearance for scholarly work
  • Corporate documents: Elegant choice for reports and presentations
  • Web typography: Excellent screen rendering at various sizes

Usage Tips

For body text, use weight 400 at 16-18px with 1.5-1.6 line height for optimal readability. Use weight 600 or 700 for headlines and subheadings. Enable old-style figures for body text and tabular figures for data tables. Pairs beautifully with Source Sans Pro for a cohesive typographic system.

Alternative For (20)

Source Serif Pro is a free alternative to the following premium fonts:

#1 Arnhem 82%
[Our Type] · serif

Similar contemporary editorial

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#2 Blanco 82%
[Milieu Grotesque] · serif

Similar editorial serif

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#3 Bradford 80%
[LL Type] · serif

Comparable editorial character

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#4 Cotford 78%
[Monotype] · serif

Comparable elegant serif

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#5 Escrow 80%
[Font Bureau] · serif

Similar editorial serif

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[Klim Type Foundry] · serif

Similar newspaper serif

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[Colophon] · serif

Comparable reading serif

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#8 Lyon 85%
[Commercial Type] · serif

Similar news and editorial serif

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#9 Mencken 82%
[Hoefler&Co] · serif

Similar newspaper character

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#10 Nantes 85%
[Ludovic Balland] · serif

Similar book serif character

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#11 Neue Swift 82%
[Linotype] · serif

Similar professional editorial serif

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#12 Newzald 85%
[Klim Type Foundry] · serif

Similar contemporary newspaper serif

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#13 Pangaia 70%
[Pangram Pangram] · serif

Contemporary editorial serif

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#14 Publico 85%
[Commercial Type] · serif

Similar news serif character

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#15 Reforma 82%
[PampaType] · serif

Similar transitional book serif

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#16 Sanomat 82%
[Commercial Type] · serif

Similar newspaper serif

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#17 Signifier 78%
[Klim Type Foundry] · serif

Comparable editorial serif

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#18 Tiempos 88%
[Klim Type Foundry] · serif

Excellent news serif alternative

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#19 Utopia 85%
[Adobe] · serif

Similar versatile transitional serif

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[Adobe] · serif

Comparable versatile serif

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How to Use Source Serif Pro

Copy these code snippets to quickly add Source Serif Pro to your project.

CSS Import

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Serif+Pro:wght@100..900&display=swap');

HTML Link Tags

<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=Source+Serif+Pro:wght@100..900&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Tailwind CSS

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        'source-serif-pro': ['"Source Serif Pro"', 'sans-serif'],
      },
    },
  },
}

// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-source-serif-pro">Your text here</p>

React / Next.js

// Using next/font (Next.js 13+)
import { Source_Serif_Pro } from 'next/font/google';

const source_serif_pro = Source_Serif_Pro({
  subsets: ['latin'],
  weight: ['100', '200', '300', '400', '500', '600', '700', '800', '900'],
});

export default function Component() {
  return (
    <p className={source_serif_pro.className}>
      Your text here
    </p>
  );
}

// Or using inline styles with Google Fonts link:
// <p style={{ fontFamily: '"Source Serif Pro"' }}>Your text</p>