Modern Antiqua

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What do I do with this?

Just want to use the font? Click "Get this font on Google Fonts" to download it or add it directly to a document, design tool (like Canva or Photoshop), or your computer's font list.

Building a website? Click "Copy Font Code" to copy a short snippet, then paste it into your website's HTML (usually inside the <head> section) to use this font on your site.

Modern Antiqua is a display typeface that draws from classical Roman letterforms, featuring high contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp serifs, and an upright, structured posture. It carries a formal, old-world quality that reads as authoritative and traditional without feeling overly ornate. The letterforms are open and legible at larger sizes, with a refined elegance that sits somewhere between a Renaissance-era typeface and a contemporary editorial serif. It projects seriousness and heritage, making it a strong choice when a design needs to communicate credibility, history, or craftsmanship.

Modern Antiqua works well for historical publications, museums, or cultural institutions that need a typeface reflecting depth and tradition in their headings or logotypes. It suits premium branding projects such as distilleries, law firms, or artisan goods producers where an established, trustworthy tone matters. It also fits editorial design contexts like magazine covers, book titles, or chapter headers where a dominant display serif adds visual weight and period-appropriate character without requiring a highly decorative typeface.

Best suited for: Consider Modern Antiqua for prominent display applications including book covers, magazine mastheads, museum signage, premium brand identities, and formal editorial headers requiring classical authority.

Design considerations: As a display-weight serif with single regular variant, Modern Antiqua performs optimally at larger scales where its high contrast and sharp serifs remain distinct. The typeface's formal classical structure may require careful sizing and spacing adjustments when used alongside contemporary design elements.

Pairing guidance: Modern Antiqua pairs effectively with EB Garamond and Cormorant Garamond as complementary serif options for extended text, while Lato offers a neutral sans-serif counterpoint for body copy, captions, or supporting information, balancing the display serif's classical weight with contemporary readability.

Pairs well with

Modern Antiqua at a glance

Modern Antiqua styles

Modern Antiqua character map

Which languages does Modern Antiqua support?

Modern Antiqua includes 2 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

It does not include Cyrillic or Greek characters, so it can't set Russian, Ukrainian or Greek text.

Can I use Modern Antiqua commercially?

Yes, it's free for personal and commercial use. Modern Antiqua 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.

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Modern Antiqua FAQ