Bricolage Grotesque Font Pairing

Jan wants to know what font pairs well with Bricolage Grotesque? He created a corporate design for a school and asks if combining it with Lato or Noto Sans would work. Let’s take a look at it!

Bricolage Grotesque is best for headings

Bricolage Grotesque is very, very striking and interesting. Because of the strong contrast and the organic, unique letter shapes, it works brilliantly in headings. For long reading text, it would be too distracting, so it needs a companion. But is it Lato?

Jan uses Bricolage Grotesque for headings and suggests Lato for body text (image by Jan Vítek)

Before we can make up our mind, let’s examine Bricolage Grotesque. Even though it seems quite soft and wonky, when looking at its construction, the typeface is rather rational. Letters are fairly closed, looking at the “s” and the “e” and “a”. Also, the stems of the “M” are vertical.

Bricolage Grotesque is a rational typeface with closed apertures.

Learn more about it in my detailed Font Friday review of Bricolage Grotesque.

You can pair it with Lato

Compared to Bricolage Grotesque, the letter shapes of Lato are a bit more open. Its form model lies between rational and dynamic, I’d describe it as a quite dynamic typeface (learn more about form models in the font matrix article). This is why it also comes across as gentler and friendlier.

Lato is more open and dynamic than Bricolage Grotesque, but still close enough.

The combination works, because it is similar enough, even though I would not use it very closely together.

Bricolage Grotesque for headings
What typeface for body text pairs well with Bricolage Gortesque? This is the copy set in the free Google Font Lato. As reading text, it should be understated, definitely not draw too much attention to itself.
🙂 Bricolage Grotesque and Lato pair well

Don’t pair it with Noto Sans

When pairing it with Noto Sans, things look different. Compared to Lato, Noto Sans is a truly dynamic typeface with very open letter shapes.

Noto Sans with its open apertures is a dynamic typeface.

And this is why I would not suggest this combination, but both form models are very far away. It is different from its construction, but then again very similar on first impression. And this is irritating.

Bricolage Grotesque for headings
What typeface for body text pairs well with Bricolage Gortesque? This is the copy set in the free font Noto Sans. As reading text, it should be understated, definitely not draw too much attention to itself.
😬 Noto Sans is a no-go Sans. It is different but not different enough.

Pairing it with Public Sans is even better

If you really want to stay in the same lane and use something that is like Bricolage Grotesque, only for body text, Public Sans would fit. It is also very rational, when examining the “e”, the “a” and “s”. Also the tone of voice is much more restrained.

Like Bricolage Grotesque, Public Sans follows a rational form model.

I recommend this font combination when you look for a simpler Bricolage Grotesque. Overall it seems a bit stricter. When you want it to be a bit friendlier and warmer, use Lato.

Bricolage Grotesque for headings. What typeface for body text pairs well with Bricolage Gortesque? This is the copy set in the free font Public Sans. As reading text, it should be understated, definitely not draw too much attention to itself.
😃 Good match! Public Sans seems like a simpler version of Bricolage Grotesque.


And what did Jan do? He eventually settled for using Inter, which is – like Public Sans – a ration typeface. Good choice, Jan! If you want to become better and more confident in pairing fonts, check out my online course Pairng typeface like a Pro, but I recommend starting with the Font Matrix article.


Do you have a question? Put it in the comments or submit it here!

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2 Comments

  1. While Public Sans seems the most similar to Bricolage Grotesque, I envision Lato as a better counterpart because it provides the dynamic and, therefore, is more interesting.

    Noto Sans? Without a soul, dry font? Nah😏

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