Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → Libre Franklin vs Public Sans

Libre Franklin vs Public Sans

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

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Libre Franklin

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.

Public 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	Libre Franklin	Public Sans	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	53.0%	51.7%	1.3%
Cap heightHeight of capitals, as a share of the font size.	74.2%	72.3%	1.9%
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.	8.6%	9.2%	0.6%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.73	0.79	0.07
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	52.9%	52.9%	0.0%

Where they diverge most

Stroke contrast: Libre Franklin measures 0.73, Public Sans measures 0.79. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
x-height: Libre Franklin measures 53.0%, Public Sans measures 51.7%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.
Stroke weight: Libre Franklin measures 8.6%, Public Sans measures 9.2%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.

At a glance

	Libre Franklin	Public Sans
Category	Sans Serif	Sans Serif
Weights	9	9
Variable axes	1	1
Language subsets	5	3
Designer	Impallari Type	USWDS