Basis Grotesque
A contemporary grotesque with roots in early 20th-century type design. Its slightly quirky details give it warmth without sacrificing professionalism.
- Designed by
- Anthony Sheret, Edd Harrington
- Foundry
- Colophon Foundry
- Category
- sans-serif
- Styles
- 5 weights
Free alternatives to Basis Grotesque
The closest free alternatives to Basis Grotesque are Work Sans and Hanken Grotesk, grotesques with a warm, slightly quirky feel.
- Work Sans (Close match) A grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and italics. A bit of character in the bold weights.
- Hanken Grotesk (Close match) A clean grotesque with weights from 100 to 900 and italics.
- Karla (Similar feel) A grotesque with quirky details, weights from 200 to 800 and italics.
Websites that use Basis Grotesque
Basis Grotesque FAQ
Is Basis Grotesque free for commercial use?
Basis Grotesque is a commercial typeface from Colophon Foundry. A paid license is required for commercial projects — you can purchase it from the foundry directly.
Is Basis Grotesque on Google Fonts?
Basis Grotesque isn't part of the Google Fonts library. It's distributed by Colophon Foundry.
How do I download Basis Grotesque?
Basis Grotesque is a commercial font — you'll need to purchase a license from the foundry to download the font files.
What fonts pair well with Basis Grotesque?
Basis Grotesque pairs beautifully with a contrasting typeface — pair a display or heading font with a neutral body font for the strongest hierarchy. Scroll down to the "Font Pairings" section on this page for curated, ready-to-use combinations that work well with Basis Grotesque, or open any pair in the Fontpair Playground to preview it live with your own copy.
What is Basis Grotesque best used for?
Basis Grotesque is a sans-serif typeface. It works well for editorial layouts, long-form reading, and elegant brand systems.