Source Han Serif
Noto Serif CJK
Type specimen
The specimen uses the official Google Fonts subset when available, otherwise a font installed on this device. If neither exists the browser falls back to a system font, so treat the official download page as authoritative.
About this font
Three years after Source Han Sans, Adobe extended the same pan-CJK engineering to a serif companion. Source Han Serif is the first truly open Song/Ming typeface with seven coordinated weights across Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean conventions. Its slender horizontals, sturdy verticals and triangular serifs echo classic metal type, while a slightly opened centre makes it far more screen-legible than old print serifs; bold weights keep crisp serifs and enough punch for headlines. Because all four regional designs share one source, multilingual publications stay visually consistent, and the Latin faces reuse Source Serif, pairing seamlessly with Source Han Sans.
Where it works best
Ideal for e-book and article body text (giving reading rhythm sans-serifs lack), annual reports, book layout, cultural posters, documentary subtitles, and packaging for tea or lifestyle brands. Practical picks: Regular body, SemiBold captions, Heavy display; on screens give it about 1.7 line-height. On the web, use the official Noto Serif SC variable subset on Google Fonts and let its CDN handle Chinese subsetting. For classical or old-form glyphs, choose the TC or JP regional variant - SC follows modern standard forms.
| Weights | 7 |
|---|---|
| First release | 2017 |
| Designed by | Designed with Table Typoteka et al. |
| Rights holder | Adobe, released jointly with Google |
| Scripts | Chinese |
| Licence | OFL SIL Open Font License 1.1 |
| Variable font | Supported |
Licence and commercial boundaries
Licence：SIL Open Font License 1.1
The dominant permissive licence for open fonts: free commercial use, modification, embedding and redistribution. Its core duties are that derivatives stay under OFL without the Reserved Font Name, the licence text travels with the files, and the fonts themselves are never sold standalone. Works typeset with them belong wholly to you.
Identical to Source Han Sans: SIL OFL 1.1, free for every commercial use - advertising, publishing, trademarks, embedding, web delivery - with no attribution or registration. Obligations are equally clear-cut: derivatives stay under OFL without the reserved names, standalone sale of font files is forbidden, and redistributions must carry the LICENSE file. Works produced with the font belong entirely to you. With a decade of maintenance by two companies, its licence-change risk is among the lowest in open-source fonts.
Hard restrictions
- No standalone sale of the font files.
- Derivatives must be OFL 1.1 without reserved names.
- Redistributions must include the licence file.
Commercial-use FAQ
Do I owe anything to publish a book set in Source Han Serif?
No. OFL explicitly allows books, papers and periodicals set in the font to be printed, sold and profited from - that counts as creating works with the font, outside the licence's restrictions.
Official channels
- Go to official download → https://github.com/adobe-fonts/source-han-serif/releases
- Official alternative download → https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Noto+Serif+SC
- Read the original licence → https://github.com/adobe-fonts/source-han-serif/blob/master/LICENSE.txt
Last verified：2026-09-07
This site is an index of publicly available information. It does not host, mirror or distribute any font file and does not warrant any licence. Rights holders may change terms, split free and paid editions, or withdraw a permission at any time. Before commercial use, verify the licence on the official page and keep a dated screenshot as evidence. For trademarks, overseas publication and large-scale embedding, consult an IP professional.