Bird
Raised Fist0
Figmabi_tool~5 mins

Font selection and pairing in Figma - Step-by-Step Guide

Choose your learning style10 modes available
LearnWhyDeepSheetTryChallengeScenarioRecallDash

Start learning this pattern below

Jump into concepts and practice - no test required

or
Recommended
Test this pattern10 questions across easy, medium, and hard to know if this pattern is strong
Introduction
Choosing the right fonts and pairing them well helps make your dashboard easy to read and look professional. This feature lets you pick fonts and combine them so your reports communicate clearly and attractively.
When you want your sales report titles to stand out but keep the body text simple
When you need to make a dashboard look modern and clean for your team
When you want to use different fonts for headings and data labels to improve clarity
When you want to ensure your font choices are readable on different screen sizes
When you want to create a consistent style across multiple report pages
Steps
Step 1: Select the text element you want to change
- Canvas or Layers panel
The text element is highlighted and ready for editing
Step 2: Click the font dropdown menu
- Text section in the right-hand Properties panel
A list of available fonts appears for selection
💡 Use the search box to quickly find a font by name
Step 3: Choose a font for your heading text
- Font dropdown menu
The selected font applies to the heading text on the canvas
Step 4: Select the body text element
- Canvas or Layers panel
The body text is highlighted for editing
Step 5: Pick a complementary font for body text
- Font dropdown menu in the Properties panel
The body text updates with the new font, creating a font pair
Step 6: Adjust font sizes and weights
- Text section in the Properties panel
Text elements show clear hierarchy with distinct sizes and boldness
Step 7: Preview your font pairing on different frames or devices
- Prototype tab or device preview options
You see how fonts look on various screen sizes and adjust if needed
Before vs After
Before
All text elements use the same default font 'Roboto' with uniform size and weight, making the dashboard look flat and hard to scan
After
Headings use a bold, modern font at 24 px, body text uses a clean, simple font at 14 px with regular weight, creating clear visual hierarchy and easier reading
Settings Reference
Font family
📍 Properties panel > Text section > Font dropdown
Select the font style for your text element
Default: Roboto
Font weight
📍 Properties panel > Text section > Weight dropdown
Control the thickness of the font to create emphasis
Default: Regular
Font size
📍 Properties panel > Text section > Size input
Set the size of the text for readability and hierarchy
Default: 14 px
Line height
📍 Properties panel > Text section > Line height input
Adjust spacing between lines to improve text clarity
Default: Auto
Common Mistakes
Using too many different fonts in one report
It makes the dashboard look messy and distracts from the data
Limit font choices to two complementary fonts: one for headings and one for body text
Choosing fonts that are hard to read on screen
It reduces user understanding and causes eye strain
Pick simple, clean fonts with good spacing and test readability on different devices
Not adjusting font sizes and weights to show importance
All text looks the same, so users can’t quickly find key information
Use larger sizes and bolder weights for titles and smaller, lighter fonts for details
Summary
Font selection and pairing help make your reports clear and professional.
Use two complementary fonts: one for headings and one for body text.
Adjust font sizes and weights to create a clear visual hierarchy.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Which of the following is the best reason to choose a clear, simple font for your BI report body text?
easy
A. It improves readability and helps users understand data easily.
B. It makes the report look more colorful and fun.
C. It allows you to use more fonts on the same page.
D. It reduces the file size of the report.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of body text fonts

    Body text should be easy to read so users can quickly grasp information.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate the options

    Only It improves readability and helps users understand data easily. focuses on readability and user understanding, which is key for BI reports.

  3. Final Answer:

    It improves readability and helps users understand data easily. -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Clear fonts improve readability [OK]
Hint: Choose fonts that make reading easy and clear [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Choosing fonts just because they look colorful
  • Using many different fonts in one report
  • Ignoring readability for style
2. Which font pairing follows best practice for BI report headings and body text?
easy
A. Heading: Times New Roman, Body: Times New Roman Italic
B. Heading: Comic Sans, Body: Papyrus
C. Heading: Arial Bold, Body: Arial Regular
D. Heading: Brush Script, Body: Courier New

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify font pairing principles

    Good pairing uses a clear, professional heading font with a matching, readable body font.

  2. Step 2: Analyze each option

    Heading: Arial Bold, Body: Arial Regular uses Arial Bold and Regular, a clean and consistent pairing suitable for BI reports.

  3. Final Answer:

    Heading: Arial Bold, Body: Arial Regular -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    Consistent, clear font pairing = Heading: Arial Bold, Body: Arial Regular [OK]
Hint: Pair bold heading with regular body font from same family [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using decorative fonts that reduce clarity
  • Mixing unrelated font styles
  • Choosing fonts that clash visually
3. You have a BI dashboard with headings in 'Roboto Bold' and body text in 'Roboto Regular'. What is the expected user experience?
medium
A. Users easily distinguish headings from body text with clear readability.
B. The report looks unprofessional because fonts are too similar.
C. Users find the report confusing due to font mismatch.
D. The body text is hard to read because Roboto is a decorative font.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand font family usage

    Using the same font family with different weights helps separate headings and body clearly.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate user experience

    Roboto is a clean, readable font; bold headings stand out while regular body text remains clear.

  3. Final Answer:

    Users easily distinguish headings from body text with clear readability. -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Same font family with weight difference improves clarity [OK]
Hint: Use same font family with different weights for clarity [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking similar fonts cause confusion
  • Assuming decorative fonts improve readability
  • Ignoring font weight differences
4. A BI report uses 'Georgia Italic' for headings and 'Arial Black' for body text. What is the main issue here?
medium
A. The fonts are too similar, causing confusion.
B. Arial Black is not a valid font.
C. Italic headings are always hard to read.
D. The body font is too heavy and reduces readability.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze font styles for readability

    Arial Black is very heavy and bold, which can overwhelm body text readability.

  2. Step 2: Consider heading font style

    Georgia Italic is readable for headings, but pairing with heavy body font reduces clarity.

  3. Final Answer:

    The body font is too heavy and reduces readability. -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Heavy body fonts reduce readability [OK]
Hint: Avoid heavy fonts for body text to keep it readable [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Assuming italic is always bad for headings
  • Ignoring font weight impact on body text
  • Thinking font validity is the issue
5. You want to create a BI report with a professional look. Which font pairing strategy should you use to balance clarity and style?
hard
A. Use two decorative fonts to make the report stand out.
B. Use a sans-serif font like 'Open Sans' for body and a serif font like 'Merriweather' for headings.
C. Use the same font for headings and body with no weight difference.
D. Use a script font for headings and a monospace font for body.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand font pairing principles

    Combining a clean sans-serif body font with a distinctive serif heading font creates balance and professionalism.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate options for clarity and style

    Use a sans-serif font like 'Open Sans' for body and a serif font like 'Merriweather' for headings. uses this proven pairing, while others reduce readability or look unprofessional.

  3. Final Answer:

    Use a sans-serif font like 'Open Sans' for body and a serif font like 'Merriweather' for headings. -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Sans-serif body + serif heading = professional look [OK]
Hint: Pair sans-serif body with serif heading for style and clarity [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using decorative fonts that reduce clarity
  • Using identical fonts without weight difference
  • Mixing script and monospace fonts in reports