Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Instrument Sans vs Rethink Sans

Instrument Sans vs Rethink 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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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.

Rethink 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	Instrument Sans	Rethink Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	51.0%	49.6%	1.4%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	72.0%	70.0%	2.0%
x-height to cap ratioProportion of lowercase to uppercase. Higher feels more modern and open.	0.71	0.71	0.00
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	8.2%	8.5%	0.3%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.83	0.86	0.03
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.5%	52.1%	0.4%

Where they diverge most

x-height: Instrument Sans measures 51.0%, Rethink Sans measures 49.6%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
Stroke contrast: Instrument Sans measures 0.83, Rethink Sans measures 0.86. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
Stroke weight: Instrument Sans measures 8.2%, Rethink Sans measures 8.5%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.

At a glance

	Instrument Sans	Rethink Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	4	5
Variable axes	2	1
Language subsets	2	2
Designer	Rodrigo Fuenzalida	Hans Thiessen