Compare Fonts → Sans Serif → PT Sans vs Barlow

PT Sans vs Barlow

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

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PT 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.

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 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	Barlow	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.	8.3%	7.1%	1.2%
Stroke contrastHorizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.	0.84	0.87	0.02
Average character widthMean lowercase advance. Higher takes more horizontal space.	48.1%	48.7%	0.6%

Stroke weight: PT Sans measures 8.3%, Barlow measures 7.1%. Measured thickness of a vertical stroke. Higher is heavier on the page.
Stroke contrast: PT Sans measures 0.84, Barlow measures 0.87. Horizontal stroke divided by vertical. 1.0 is even; below 0.5 means strong thick-thin modulation.
x-height: PT Sans measures 50.0%, Barlow measures 50.6%. Height of lowercase letters, as a share of the font size. Higher reads larger at the same point size.