Live preview: Garamond font
Preview shown in EB Garamond, a free open-source font similar to Garamond (SIL Open Font License). Garamond itself is not included here.
EB Garamond: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
The Garamond font is one of the oldest and most loved book typefaces in the world. It has soft, rounded serifs, gentle contrast and a calm rhythm that makes long reading easy on the eyes. Today "Garamond" is not one single font but a whole group of versions made by different foundries.
The preview above uses EB Garamond, a free revival, and it is labelled so you know what you are seeing. Below you will learn which Garamond is which, how to get one legally, and where the free versions come from.
History of the Garamond Font
The name comes from Claude Garamond, a punchcutter who worked in Paris in the 1500s. Punchcutters carved the steel punches used to make metal type for printing. His letters became famous across Europe because they were clear, balanced and graceful.
In later centuries, many foundries made their own fonts inspired by his work and gave them the Garamond name. Some are close to the old letters, while others change the shapes a lot. That is why two "Garamond" fonts on two computers can look quite different.
Style-wise, Garamond is an old-style serif. The x-height (the height of small letters like x) is fairly low, the strokes change gently from thick to thin, and the italic is narrow and elegant.
Popular Garamond Versions Compared
| Version | Licence | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| EB Garamond | Free, SIL Open Font License | Google Fonts |
| Cormorant Garamond | Free, SIL Open Font License | Google Fonts |
| Adobe Garamond Pro | Commercial | Adobe (Adobe Fonts with a Creative Cloud plan) |
| Garamond Premier Pro | Commercial | Adobe |
| ITC Garamond | Commercial | Sold through font sellers such as MyFonts |
| Monotype Garamond | Licensed | Comes with Microsoft Office on many installs as "Garamond" |
| Apple Garamond | Not for sale | Made for Apple branding |
The Adobe Garamond Pro font and Garamond Premier Pro font are favourites of book designers. ITC Garamond has a taller x-height and tighter spacing, so it looks bolder and more modern. If you only need a Garamond for school or office work, check your font menu first: if you have Microsoft Office, a Garamond is often already installed.
Garamond Font Free Download: EB Garamond and Cormorant Garamond
If you want a legal garamond font free download, use one of the two open source revivals. Both are free for personal and commercial use under the SIL Open Font License.
- EB Garamond font: a careful revival made for real reading. It has regular, bold and italic styles, and works well in books, essays and resumes. Get the EB Garamond font download from the EB Garamond page on Google Fonts.
- Cormorant Garamond font: a sharper, more stylish design with long, delicate details. It looks best at large sizes, such as wedding cards, book covers and fashion posts. The Cormorant Garamond font free download is on the Cormorant Garamond font Google Fonts page, the official source for any cormorant garamond font download.
A Cormorant Garamond font sample in the specimen page lets you type your own words before you download. These are the safest garamond font download options. Avoid random "font family free download" packs, since they often carry renamed or broken files.
Apple Garamond Font and Paid Versions
The Apple Garamond font was a narrow Garamond used in Apple's branding and ads for many years. It was made for Apple's own use, not sold to the public, so an "apple garamond font free download" or "apple garamond font download" site is not offering a licensed copy. For a similar look, use EB Garamond and set the width or spacing a little tighter in your design app.
For paid versions, buy or subscribe from the foundry or an authorised store. Adobe sells its Garamond fonts, and you can find ITC Garamond on MyFonts. A licence protects you if you use the font for a client or a product.
Using Cormorant Garamond in Canva, Word and Websites
Canva: many people ask "canva cormorant garamond font available?" Search "Cormorant" in the Canva font menu. Canva font Cormorant Garamond is normally listed there, often with more than one width. If you cannot find it, use EB Garamond or another serif from the list.
Word: install the downloaded .ttf files, restart Word and pick the font from the list. For a resume, set the body at 11 or 12 pt.
Websites: load it from Google Fonts and write font-family: 'EB Garamond', Georgia, serif; in your CSS.
Comparing classic serifs? See our guides to Times New Roman and Playfair Display, or our popular fonts list.
Common questions
Is Garamond a good font for resume use?
Yes, many people like it for resumes because it looks classic and saves space. Use a clear version like EB Garamond or Office's Garamond at 11 or 12 pt. If a company or college asks for a set font, follow their rule.
Is the Garamond font free?
Some versions are. EB Garamond and Cormorant Garamond are free under the SIL Open Font License. Adobe Garamond Pro, Garamond Premier Pro and ITC Garamond are commercial, and the Office version is licensed with Office.
What is the difference between EB Garamond and Cormorant Garamond?
EB Garamond is made for comfortable reading at normal text sizes. Cormorant Garamond is more delicate and dramatic, so it suits headlines and invitations better than long paragraphs.
Does Garamond have a bold and italic style?
Yes. Most versions include a Garamond bold font and a Garamond italic font. The italic is known for its narrow, flowing shapes, which look lovely in quotes and names.
Is there a Garamond font generator for Instagram?
Apps like Instagram cannot use installed fonts. You can paste Unicode serif and italic letters that give a book-like feel. Try our font generator or the italic font page.
Which Garamond comes with Microsoft Office?
Many Office installs include a font simply called Garamond, which is Monotype's version. Open your font menu and type Garamond to check.