1. Give each font a job
Decide which font is the voice (headings, logo, big moments) and which is the workhorse (paragraphs, buttons, captions). The voice can be expressive. The workhorse must be calm and readable at small sizes.
2. Contrast, do not clash
Pairs work when they are clearly different: a serif with a sans serif, a bold display face with a quiet text face. Two similar sans serifs side by side look like a mistake.
3. Match the mood
Contrast in shape, harmony in feel. A playful script wants a friendly rounded sans, not a cold technical one. Typesay scores every font on mood, so pairings share a feel automatically.
4. Look at the x-height
Fonts with a similar x-height (the height of lowercase letters) sit comfortably together, even when their styles differ.
5. Two is usually enough
Use weights and sizes of the same two fonts to create hierarchy instead of adding a third family.
6. Test with your real words
A pair can look great in a sample and wrong with your actual headline. Type your own text in the preview bar on any Typesay page.