Google Sans

on in Blog
Last modified on

Google Sans - Font Preview

Updated on July 3d, 2019, and added the Google Fonts API URL.

Table of Contents

Google Sans (Product Sans) web font

Google Sans (or Product Sans) is a geometric sans-serif typeface created by Google for branding purposes. It replaced the old Google logo on September 1, 2015. As Google’s branding was becoming more apparent on a multitude of devices, Google sought to adapt its design so that its logo could be portrayed in constrained spaces and remain consistent for its users across platforms.

  • Designer: Paul D. Hunt
  • Year: 2015
  • Style: Geometric sans-serif
  • Open Source: No
  • License: Proprietary
  • Supported weights: Light, Regular, Medium, Bold
  • Supported styles: Upright, Italic

Check out some demos below:

Note that this font is not open-source. According to Google’s license:

Google offers many fonts under open source licenses. This is not one of them. Please see fonts.google.com for options you can use.

Also check out this font specimen for more details or this Wikipedia page.

Google Sans as a Google font

You can now load Google Sans via the Google Fonts API, using the URL below:

https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Google+Sans:100,300,400,500,700,900,100i,300i,400i,500i,700i,900i

Just like Material Icons, the font is not visible on a regular search, but it is available for use.

UPDATE: Apparently, the Google Fonts API v2 is working, but only 400, 500 and 700 weights are available (which is good enough):

https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Google+Sans:wght@100;200;300;400;500;700;900&display=swap

Google Sans vs Product Sans

Google Sans and Product Sans are two geometric sans-serif typefaces developed by Google. While they share a similar design aesthetic, they differ in their intended usage and technical specifications.

Google Sans

  • Intended Usage: Google Sans is primarily designed for branding purposes, serving as the company’s logo font and appearing in various Google products and interfaces.
  • Technical Characteristics: Google Sans is optimized for legibility and clarity at various sizes and distances, making it suitable for both print and digital applications. It features a geometric grid structure and subtle optical adjustments to enhance readability.
  • Availability: Google Sans is not directly available for public download, but can be embedded within web pages and applications using Google Fonts API.

Product Sans

  • Intended Usage: Product Sans is designed for broader use cases, not limited to branding. It is intended for use in product interfaces, marketing materials, and other design applications.
  • Technical Characteristics: Product Sans is a commercial font with a wider range of weights and styles compared to Google Sans. It shares the same geometric construction and optical adjustments as Google Sans, ensuring consistent design language.
  • Availability: Product Sans is a commercial font available for purchase through Google Fonts.

Related posts