Garamond font
Hacker ApprovedShares rank 12 of 26 typefaces by recommenders
People recommend Garamond for its classic, elegant serif style and prefer it over many alternatives. The most common caveat is that most versions have too little x-height for good legibility.
People recommend Garamond for its classic, elegant serif style and prefer it over many alternatives. The most common caveat is that most versions have too little x-height for good legibility.
10 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Classic, classy serif look
“I love Garamond as a style but it wouldn't be my choice for legibility. Most renditions of Garamond have too little x-height.”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Calibri Wasn't Fit for the State Department; Neither Is Times New Roman” “I do wish they’d gone for a classier serif though; Garamond was right there”
Comment from 10 Dec 2025 in “Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri” Preferred over other serif fonts
“For something more leisurely I'd go with either Garamond or Georgia”
Comment from 13 Aug 2026 in “Antiqua–Fraktur Dispute” “We should just use Garamond or Caslon for everything”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface” “Palatino or Garamond would probably be my choices.”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Calibri Wasn't Fit for the State Department; Neither Is Times New Roman” - Comment from 10 Dec 2025 in “Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Too little x-height for legibility
“I love Garamond as a style but it wouldn't be my choice for legibility. Most renditions of Garamond have too little x-height.”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Calibri Wasn't Fit for the State Department; Neither Is Times New Roman” Too artsy for some uses
“a less artsy look than Garamond &co”
Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Public Sans – A strong, neutral typeface”
Other typefaces people recommend
The four most recommended other typefaces, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times New Roman | 35 | 28 | 56% | 4 | — | — |
| Atkinson Hyperlegible | 23 | 2 | 92% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Shantell Sans | 19 | 1 | 95% | 2 | — | — |
| Calibri | 16 | 36 | 31% | 1 | — | — |
| Garamond fontThis page | 10 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
What people said
9 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“For something more leisurely I'd go with either Garamond or Georgia”
“the title font is too narrow and hurts readability”
“liked the Garamond better, since the font is a bit thicker”
“a less artsy look than Garamond &co”
“We should just use Garamond or Caslon for everything”
“I love Garamond as a style but it wouldn't be my choice for legibility. Most renditions of Garamond have too little x-height.”
“Palatino or Garamond would probably be my choices.”
“Once again Garamond is passed over.”
“I do wish they’d gone for a classier serif though; Garamond was right there”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.