Trending|sans + serif
boldeleganteditorialstriking

Space Grotesk + Playfair Display

Tension by Design

When tech culture meets editorial tradition

The deliberate friction between Space Grotesk's digital-native quirks and Playfair's high-contrast elegance creates visual interest that demands attention. Opposites attract.

Tech-forward meets high-contrast elegance. Space Grotesk's distinctive character paired with Playfair's editorial drama.

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Typefaces Used

Primarysans

Space Grotesk

Geometric sans with distinctive character. Tech-forward yet approachable.

Designed by Florian Karsten

Released 2018

Available weights: 300, 400, 500, 600, 700

Secondaryserif

Playfair Display

High-contrast transitional serif with elegant, editorial presence. Perfect for luxury brands and sophisticated headlines.

Designed by Claus Eggers Sørensen

Released 2011

Available weights: 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900

Recommended Scale

H1

Headline One

Space Grotesk · 700 · 52px · 1

H2

Headline Two

Playfair Display · 600 · 36px · 1.1

H3

Headline Three

Playfair Display · 500 · 26px · 1.25

Body

Body text for paragraphs and long-form content.

Space Grotesk · 400 · 16px · 1.7

Caption

Caption and metadata text

Space Grotesk · 400 · 14px · 1.5

In Context

Design Essay · 12 min read

Tension by Design

When tech culture meets editorial tradition

The deliberate friction between Space Grotesk's digital-native quirks and Playfair's high-contrast elegance creates visual interest that demands attention. Opposites attract.

Creativity is just connecting things.

Steve Jobs

Developer Exports

Google Fonts
<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=Space+Grotesk:wght@400;700&family=Playfair+Display:wght@500;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
CSS
h1 {
  font-family: "Space Grotesk", sans-serif;
  font-size: 52px;
  font-weight: 700;
  line-height: 1;
  letter-spacing: -0.03em;
}

h2 {
  font-family: "Playfair Display", serif;
  font-size: 36px;
  font-weight: 600;
  line-height: 1.1;
}

h3 {
  font-family: "Playfair Display", serif;
  font-size: 26px;
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 1.25;
}

.body-text {
  font-family: "Space Grotesk", sans-serif;
  font-size: 16px;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.7;
}

.caption {
  font-family: "Space Grotesk", sans-serif;
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 1.5;
}
Tailwind Config
// tailwind.config.ts
import type { Config } from "tailwindcss";

const config: Config = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        spacegrotesk: [""Space Grotesk"", "sans-serif"],
        playfairdisplay: [""Playfair Display"", "serif"],
      },
      fontSize: {
        "h1": ["52px", { lineHeight: "1", fontWeight: "700" }],
        "h2": ["36px", { lineHeight: "1.1", fontWeight: "600" }],
        "h3": ["26px", { lineHeight: "1.25", fontWeight: "500" }],
        "body": ["16px", { lineHeight: "1.7", fontWeight: "400" }],
        "caption": ["14px", { lineHeight: "1.5", fontWeight: "400" }],
      },
    },
  },
};

export default config;

AI-Ready Exports

Copy these structured prompts to brief AI tools on your typography system. Paste directly into ChatGPT, Claude, or any LLM.

System Description

Explain this type system to an AI

Use this typographic system:

Headings:
  Space Grotesk, 700 weight
  Used for H1–H3
  Geometric sans with distinctive character. Tech-forward yet approachable.

Body:
  Space Grotesk, 400 weight
  Used for paragraphs and UI
  Geometric sans with distinctive character. Tech-forward yet approachable.

Tone:
  bold, elegant, editorial
  Tech-forward meets high-contrast elegance. Space Grotesk's distinctive character paired with Playfair's editorial drama.

Use this scale:
  H1 — 52px / 1 / -0.03em
  H2 — 36px / 1.1
  H3 — 26px / 1.25
  Body — 16px / 1.7
  Caption — 14px / 1.5

UI Generation Prompt

Use when asking AI to generate code

When generating UI or HTML, use this typography system:

H1 — Space Grotesk — 700 — 52px — line-height 1 — letter-spacing -0.03em
H2 — Playfair Display — 600 — 36px — line-height 1.1
H3 — Playfair Display — 500 — 26px — line-height 1.25
Body — Space Grotesk — 400 — 16px — line-height 1.7
Caption — Space Grotesk — 400 — 14px — line-height 1.5

Headings should feel bold and elegant.
Body text should feel readable and modern.

Do NOT mix additional fonts.
Maintain consistent hierarchy throughout.