Source Serif 4

formerly Source Serif Pro

OFL Text serifOFL openFree commercialMulti-weightVariableWeb-font safeSerif feel

Type specimen

Source Serif 4 - readable modern

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

Frank Grießhammer's Caslon-derived, screen-retuned modern text serif - one of Adobe's Source triad (Sans/Serif/Han). Medium contrast, open counters, brisk rhythm; version 4 added optical sizes (8-12) and a variable build, at home in both long reads and interfaces. Kin to Source Han Serif, it is the default Latin answer in bilingual academic and publishing systems.

Frank Grießhammer's scholarly design notes (in the repo's NOTES) log which shapes honour Baskerville, which echo Caslon and which compromise for screens. Practically, it out-stabilises EB Garamond in academic layouts: a fuller weight ladder means text, heads and captions run on one family.

The real selling point is its opsz axis (8-72): small sizes auto-strengthen serifs and open counters, large sizes thin the hairlines - one variable file replaces a Text/Subhead/Display system. Turn it on with font-optical-sizing: auto. In bilingual publications its rhythm is engineered beside Source Han Serif, so side-by-side pages need almost no manual colour-matching.

Where it works best

Tech books and academic publishing, longform web, bilingual systems, annual reports. Picks: 400 text, 600-700 emphasis; its rhythm peaks at 16-18 px on screen.

Weights12
First release2014
Designed byFrank Grießhammer
Rights holderAdobe
ScriptsLatin
LicenceOFL SIL Open Font License 1.1
Variable fontSupported

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.

Standard OFL 1.1 duties.

Hard restrictions

  • Rename derivatives.
  • No standalone sales.
Important disclaimer

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.

← Back to font library