Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Barlow Condensed vs PT Sans Narrow

Barlow Condensed vs PT Sans Narrow

Both are sans serif faces on Google Fonts. Barlow Condensed has the larger x-height, so it looks bigger at the same size. PT Sans Narrow takes more horizontal space.

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Barlow Condensed

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

PT Sans Narrow

Handgloves & Quartz Jockeys

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs, then ship it to 1,842 Grove Street by 9:30 AM.

Measured differences

Measured from the font files. Heights and widths are shown as a share of the font size, so they compare directly at any point size.
Measurement	Barlow Condensed	PT Sans Narrow	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.6%	50.0%	0.6%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	70.0%	70.0%	0.0%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.72	0.71	0.01
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	7.1%	7.5%	0.4%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.88	0.87	0.01
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	38.1%	38.7%	0.5%

Where they diverge most

Stroke weight: Barlow Condensed measures 7.1%, PT Sans Narrow measures 7.5%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
x-height: Barlow Condensed measures 50.6%, PT Sans Narrow measures 50.0%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
Average character width: Barlow Condensed measures 38.1%, PT Sans Narrow measures 38.7%. Mean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.

At a glance

	Barlow Condensed	PT Sans Narrow
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	9	2
Variable axes	None	None
Language subsets	3	4
Designer	Jeremy Tribby	ParaType