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TypeSmith

Discover beautiful fonts and perfect pairings for your next project. Browse 8,500+ fonts with accessibility ratings.

© 2026 TypeSmith · Robert David Orr

  1. Fonts
  2. /
  3. Sans Serif
  4. /
  5. Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed delivers clean, contemporary letterforms optimized for digital interfaces and modern design systems.

Scroll to explore
Sans Serifby Jeremy Tribby81% Accessible
Characters390
Glyphs468
Typography Tools

Best Ways to Use Barlow Semi Condensed

01

Best Font Pairings for Barlow Semi Condensed

TypeSmith curates 4 expert font pairings for Barlow Semi Condensed, including combinations with Montserrat, Inter and Lora.

Each pairing includes accessibility ratings, expert reasoning, and usage recommendations for web and print design.

Explore 4 Pairings for Barlow Semi Condensed
02

Test Barlow Semi Condensed Font Pairings Live

TypeSmith's interactive testing tool lets you preview Barlow Semi Condensed with any font combination in real-time, optimized for sans serif characteristics.

Adjust font sizes, weights, and see live typography specimens including editorial layouts, code editors, and UI components.

Test Barlow Semi Condensed Pairings Live

In Context

Barlow Semi Condensed Specimen Gallery

EditorialUI ComponentsPosterWordmark

Barlow Semi Condensed Editorial Specimen

Barlow Semi Condensed in Editorial Context

Barlow Semi Condensed is a sans serif typeface by Jeremy Tribby suited for editorial layouts and long-form reading.

Jeremy Tribby

Typeface Designer • Sans Serif

Barlow Semi Condensed demonstrates editorial readability through balanced proportions and consistent stroke weight. As a sans serif typeface, it delivers clear letterforms that sustain reader engagement across extended passages of text.

The weight range of Barlow Semi Condensed supports typographic hierarchy within editorial layouts. Headline weights establish visual anchors while lighter weights maintain comfortable reading rhythm in body text columns.

Designed by Jeremy Tribby, Barlow Semi Condensed balances personality with function — providing enough character to establish visual identity without compromising the legibility that editorial contexts demand.

Barlow Semi Condensed
ProductsSolutionsResourcesPricing

Barlow Semi Condensed Typography

A sans serif typeface for UI components.

Active2 weights available
DefaultInfoSuccessWarningError
Barlow Semi Condensed Specimen

Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed is a sans serif typeface by Jeremy Tribby built for display contexts.

2 WeightsSans Serif Typeface
Available on TypeSmith

Wordmark Explorations

Barlow Semi Condensed
Barlow Semi Condensed
BARLOW SEMI CONDENSED
BARLOW SEMI CONDENSEDTYPE
B

Tagline Pairings

Barlow Semi Condensed— sans serif typeface
Barlow Semi CondensedBy Jeremy Tribby
Barlow Semi CondensedTYPE

Editorial

Magazine-style headline and body text layout

Character Set

Barlow Semi Condensed Glyphs & Characters

Size48
Showing 62 of 187 charactersDouble-click to copy • Click for details
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789

Type Scale

Barlow Semi Condensed Typography Scale

Heading Level 1<h1>
64px
Bold
72px
Barlow Semi Condensed primary headline
Heading Level 2<h2>
48px
SemiBold
56px
Barlow Semi Condensed section heading
Heading Level 3<h3>
32px
Medium
40px
Barlow Semi Condensed subsection title
Heading Level 4<h4>
24px
Regular
32px
Barlow Semi Condensed content heading
Heading Level 5<h5>
18px
Regular
26px
Barlow Semi Condensed minor heading
Heading Level 6<h6>
14px
Medium
20px
Barlow Semi Condensed smallest heading
Font SizeWeightLine Height
Body Copy

Body Text with Barlow Semi Condensed

TypeSmith provides optimized body text specifications for Barlow Semi Condensed, including recommended sizes, line heights, and letter spacing for long-form content. These settings ensure maximum readability across devices and screen sizes.

Barlow Semi Condensed demonstrates exceptional body text performance with balanced proportions and consistent stroke widths that enhance readability across paragraph lengths.

When setting Barlow Semi Condensed for body copy, TypeSmith recommends these optimized specifications. The carefully tuned metrics ensure comfortable reading at extended lengths while maintaining the typeface's distinctive character.

Barlow Semi Condensed small text sizes retain legibility through well-defined letterforms. Caption and footnote applications benefit from the font's clear x-height and open counters.

ElementWeightSizeLine HeightTrackingPreview
Body TextRegular16px24px0.5pxBarlow Semi Condensed delivers excellent readability for body copy
ItalicizedRegular Italic16px24px0.5pxBarlow Semi Condensed italic provides elegant emphasis
BoldBold16px24px0.5pxBarlow Semi Condensed bold creates strong visual hierarchy
Small CapsRegular16px24px0.5pxBarlow Semi Condensed typography specimen
Secondary TextMedium14px20px0.5pxBarlow Semi Condensed typography specimen
.your-class { font-family: 'Barlow Semi Condensed'; }

Quick Start

Integrating Barlow Semi Condensed

HTML Link Tag

Add to your <head> section

<link href="https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=Barlow+Semi+Condensed:400,700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

CSS @import

Add at top of your stylesheet

@import url('https://fonts.bunny.net/css?family=Barlow+Semi+Condensed:400,700&display=swap');

CSS @font-face

Self-host the font files

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Barlow Semi Condensed';
  src: url('https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Barlow+Semi+Condensed');
  font-display: swap;
}

Implementation

Code Snippets for Barlow Semi Condensed

Standard CSS

css

Apply directly to any CSS class or selector.

 1.my-text {
 2  font-family: 'Barlow Semi Condensed', sans-serif;
 3  font-weight: 400;
 4}

SCSS Variable

scss

Define once, use throughout your stylesheet.

 1$font-primary: 'Barlow Semi Condensed', sans-serif;
 2
 3.my-text {
 4  font-family: $font-primary;
 5}

Tailwind CSS

config

Configure once, apply with utility classes.

 1// tailwind.config.js
 2module.exports = {
 3  theme: {
 4    extend: {
 5      fontFamily: {
 6        'barlow-semi-condensed': ['Barlow Semi Condensed', 'sans-serif'],
 7      },
 8    },
 9  },
10}
11
12// Usage in HTML
13<p class="font-barlow-semi-condensed">Your text here</p>

About

Inside Barlow Semi Condensed

Jeremy Tribby
Sans Serif
Open Source

Representing sans-serif typeface design, Barlow Semi Condensed showcases structured forms and mathematical proportions, making it well-suited for mobile applications. Its modern aesthetic and no decorative strokes contribute to its versatile character. Particularly effective for mobile applications and digital interfaces, Barlow Semi Condensed adapts confidently across design contexts. Extended language coverage includes Barlow Semi Condensed is a versatile font that supports a wide range of languages. It includes exten....

Barlow Semi Condensed was crafted by Jeremy Tribby. Known for grotesk type design inspired by California transport signage, the designer's expertise shapes Barlow Semi Condensed's glyph proportions, stroke consistency, and typographic color.

As a Sans Serif typeface in the Vox-ATypI Lineal classification, Barlow Semi Condensed features no serif extensions on stroke terminals and stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated. These optical characteristics make it well-suited for corporate identity systems requiring neutrality.

Barlow Semi Condensed is available in a single weight, offering focused typographic consistency for both digital and print applications, with 4 curated font pairings available. Standard Latin character coverage serves the majority of Western typographic workflows.

Barlow Semi Condensed

Typography Judgment

Expert Analysis of Barlow Semi Condensed

TypeSmith evaluates every font across classification, accessibility, and design heritage. This analysis helps designers understand Barlow Semi Condensed's strengths and ideal use cases before committing to a typography decision.

1

Classification

Sans Serif analysis. TypeSmith classifies Barlow Semi Condensed within the Lineal (Grotesque, Neo-grotesque, Geometric, Humanist) tradition, characterized by No serif extensions on stroke terminals and Stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated. The first commercially successful sans-serifs appeared in the 1810s-1830s as display types. Key technical strength: widest variable-font support with weight and width axes.

2

Accessibility

Readability assessment (grade: 81). Barlow Semi Condensed maintains legibility across a range of sizes and rendering environments.

3

Design Heritage

Designed by Jeremy Tribby. Known for grotesk type design inspired by California transport signage, the designer's expertise shapes Barlow Semi Condensed's glyph proportions and optical balance across a single focused weight.

Overview

About Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed embodies the Lineal typeface, grounded in the tradition where the first commercially successful sans-serifs appeared in the 1810s-1830s as display types. Its distinctive no serif extensions on stroke terminals and stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated make it well-suited for corporate identity systems requiring neutrality. TypeSmith features Barlow Semi Condensed in a single weight variant and 4 curated font pairings.

Font Pairings Available
4 curated pairings for Barlow Semi Condensed
View Pairings

Categories

Browse by Classification

DisplayHandwritingMonospaceSans SerifSerif

Explore More

Fonts Similar to Barlow Semi Condensed

View all fonts

TypeSmith identifies 5 fonts with similar visual characteristics to Barlow Semi Condensed based on classification, x-height ratio, and stroke weight. These alternatives maintain the same typographic personality while offering different weight options and language support.

Aa
Galdeano
Sans Serif
Aa
Aclonica
Sans Serif
Aa
Encode Sans
Sans Serif
Aa
Encode Sans Expanded
Sans Serif
Aa
Advent Pro
Sans Serif

Inclusive Design

Accessibility & Usability

81
Accessibility Score
Excellent Accessibility

Accessibility Features of Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed achieves a good accessibility rating, performing reliably for both paragraph text and interface elements at standard sizes. Grotesques with ambiguous letterforms (I/l/1) reduce accessibility. Choose designs with distinct character differentiation and open apertures for inclusive typography.

Barlow Semi Condensed's Legibility

Barlow Semi Condensed draws legibility from its no serif extensions on stroke terminals and stroke contrast ranging from monolinear to subtly modulated. These characteristics help readers distinguish similar glyphs such as I, l, and 1 at a range of sizes.

How Readable is Barlow Semi Condensed?

Humanist sans-serifs offer the best body-text readability in the category. Geometric and neo-grotesque designs excel in short-form UI text but require careful sizing for sustained reading. Use at 16 px minimum for body text, and maintain 1.5 line-height to support comfortable reading rhythm.

Eye Strain Considerations for Barlow Semi Condensed

Barlow Semi Condensed provides a focused weight range that maintains consistent typographic color across paragraphs. Balanced stroke modulation keeps visual noise low during sustained reading sessions.

Barlow Semi Condensed Accessibility Recommendations

Maintain a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text when setting Barlow Semi Condensed. Use font sizes of at least 16 px for paragraph copy and line spacing of 1.5 or greater. Test Barlow Semi Condensed at 200% browser zoom to confirm line breaks and layout integrity remain intact.

How to Use Barlow Semi Condensed Effectively

Pair with Garalde or Transitional serifs for classic contrast. A humanist sans body with a geometric sans display creates intra-category tension without conflict. Curated pairings are available to guide complementary typeface selection for Barlow Semi Condensed. Establish hierarchy through size, spacing, and color rather than multiplying font families. Serve Barlow Semi Condensed in WOFF2 format for optimal load performance and broad browser compatibility.

Get the Font

Download Barlow Semi Condensed

Available on Google Fonts
4 weights available for download
Download

Available Weights

400
Regular
400
Regular Italic
700
Bold
700
Bold Italic

Weight Reference

Aa
100
Aa
200
Aa
300
Aa
400
Aa
500
Aa
600
Aa
700
Aa
800
Aa
900

Internationalization

Barlow Semi Condensed Language Coverage

Extended Latin Coverage
Supports 100+ languages with Latin script

Western European

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Portuguese
  • Dutch

Nordic

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Icelandic

Central European

  • Polish
  • Czech
  • Hungarian
  • Romanian
  • Slovak

Baltic

  • Lithuanian
  • Latvian
  • Estonian

Barlow Semi Condensed is a versatile font that supports a wide range of languages. It includes extensive Latin script coverage, making it suitable for English and other Western European languages. Additionally, it supports Central European languages, providing glyphs for characters used in languages such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and more. Its character set also encompasses Baltic languages, and it includes support for Vietnamese, offering a comprehensive solution for diverse linguistic needs.

Legal

Barlow Semi Condensed License Information

SIL Open Font License (OFL) 1.1
Free for personal and commercial use
View License

What you can do

  • Personal projects
  • Commercial projects
  • Web embedding
  • App embedding
  • Modification
  • Redistribution

Restrictions

  • Selling as standalone

Modified versions must use a different name and be distributed under the same OFL license.

Barlow Semi Condensed is available under the SIL Open Font License (OFL), Version 1.1. This license is a free, libre, and open source license specifically designed for fonts and related software. The OFL allows the fonts to be used, studied, modified, and redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. This makes Barlow Semi Condensed ideal for web projects, applications, documents, and print materials of any kind.