Crimson Text
serif · Designed by Sebastian Kosch
Instant CSS & Tailwind Generator
Snippet updates automatically to match whichever weight you select above.
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Crimson Text is a classical serif typeface with roots in old-style typography, drawing influence from Renaissance-era book fonts. Its letterforms feature moderate contrast between thick and thin strokes, slightly angled stress, and bracketed serifs that give it a warm, readable quality at body text sizes. It sits somewhere between formal and approachable — more refined than a slab serif, less stiff than a transitional design like Times New Roman. The overall impression is scholarly and traditional without feeling dated or overly decorative.
Crimson Text works well in long-form editorial content, such as online magazines, literary journals, or blog platforms where readability across extended passages matters. It is also a solid choice for book or academic publishing projects that need digital versions to match the warmth of printed typesetting. For branding, it suits organizations in education, law, or the arts that want to communicate credibility and a sense of history without resorting to a cold or corporate aesthetic.
Best suited for: Consider Crimson Text for editorial layouts, publishing, brand storytelling, feature headings, and reading-focused projects that call for a serif foundation.
Design considerations: This ProFont page provides 6 available variants, giving the family room to establish emphasis and hierarchy without changing typefaces. Test the selected weights with real project copy, spacing, and line lengths before committing to the final layout.
Pairing guidance: Consider Raleway for body copy, navigation, or interface text, Lato for body copy, navigation, or interface text, and Playfair Display for editorial headings or longer supporting text, assigning each family a distinct role alongside Crimson Text.
Pairs well with
Crimson Text at a glance
Sebastian Kosch
SIL Open Font License 1.1
January 2011
May 2025
6 (3 weights + italics)
Serif
3
Google Fonts
All 6 Crimson Text styles
| Weight | Name | Upright | Italic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Regular | Aa Bb Gg 123 | Aa Bb Gg 123 |
| 600 | SemiBold | Aa Bb Gg 123 | Aa Bb Gg 123 |
| 700 | Bold | Aa Bb Gg 123 | Aa Bb Gg 123 |
Crimson Text character map
Which languages does Crimson Text support?
Crimson Text includes 3 character sets:
- Latin: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and other Western European languages
- Latin Extended: Central and Eastern European languages such as Polish, Czech, Turkish, Romanian and Hungarian
- Vietnamese: Vietnamese, including its stacked tone marks
It does not include Cyrillic or Greek characters, so it can't set Russian, Ukrainian or Greek text.
Can I use Crimson Text commercially?
Yes, it's free for personal and commercial use. Crimson Text is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. You can use it in logos, websites, apps, videos, printed products and merchandise without paying or asking permission. The one thing you can't do is sell the font file on its own.