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

PT Sans Narrow vs Barlow Semi Condensed

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

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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.

Barlow Semi 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.

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	PT Sans Narrow	Barlow Semi Condensed	Difference
x-heightHeight of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.	50.0%	50.6%	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.	0.71	0.72	0.01
Stroke weightMeasured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.	7.5%	7.1%	0.4%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.87	0.87	0.01
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	38.7%	43.4%	4.7%

Where they diverge most

Average character width: PT Sans Narrow measures 38.7%, Barlow Semi Condensed measures 43.4%. Mean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.
Stroke weight: PT Sans Narrow measures 7.5%, Barlow Semi Condensed measures 7.1%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
x-height: PT Sans Narrow measures 50.0%, Barlow Semi Condensed measures 50.6%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.

At a glance

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