Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → DM Sans vs Instrument Sans

DM Sans vs Instrument Sans

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

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DM Sans

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.

Instrument Sans

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	DM Sans	Instrument Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.4%	51.0%	0.6%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	70.0%	72.0%	2.0%
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.	8.6%	8.2%	0.4%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.84	0.83	0.01
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.2%	52.5%	0.3%

Where they diverge most

Stroke weight: DM Sans measures 8.6%, Instrument Sans measures 8.2%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
x-height: DM Sans measures 50.4%, Instrument Sans measures 51.0%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
x-height to cap ratio: DM Sans measures 0.72, Instrument Sans measures 0.71. Proportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.

At a glance

	DM Sans	Instrument Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	10	4
Variable axes	2	2
Language subsets	2	2
Designer	Colophon Foundry	Rodrigo Fuenzalida