Help me pair a typeface

May 24, 2015 10:22 PM

I'm looking for a sans-serif typeface that pairs well with Monotype's Bembo Book (specimen pages). Can you recommend one?
posted by Quilford to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

Yale chooses to pair its Bembo-inspired serif with TheSans sans-serif in its official communications. I agree that it is a good, balanced choice. You might give a variation of TheSans a try.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 11:59 PM on May 24, 2015

My first thought was Frutiger, which looks good in any number of weights.
posted by Dr. Sockley McThrowaway at 12:22 AM on May 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

How about the always-tasteful Gill Sans? The lowercase "e" and "a" echo Bembo's quite nicely.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:41 AM on May 25, 2015

Response by poster: Good suggestions so far, but I'm thinking something taller and more slender is needed to match Bembo.
posted by Quilford at 8:24 AM on May 25, 2015

Depends on what you're using it for, and which variation you're using.

Is Bembo Book the headline font and you're using a sans serif for the body copy? Maybe Eras.

Is Bembo Book the body copy, and you're looking for a nice headline font? Maybe Adobe Garamond Titling (see pg 30 of the PDF).

I like pairing old style typefaces with their peers, because there's a certain aesthetic harmony. Most people won't pick up on it, but it'll just look right.
posted by nadise at 12:06 PM on May 25, 2015

Response by poster: Bembo Book is the body copy. I'm looking for a font for headlines, numbered bullets, page numbers, etc. This is for personal documents.
posted by Quilford at 5:39 PM on May 25, 2015

Best answer: Ended up going with ITC Legacy Sans.
posted by Quilford at 7:42 PM on July 5, 2015