What is the best font for a CV in 2026?

The most frequently recommended fonts for a CV are Calibri, Arial, Lato, and Roboto. Calibri is an especially safe choice because it is the default font in Microsoft Office, looks great on screen and in print, and ATS systems read it without issues.

What font size should a CV use?

The optimal font size for a CV is 10-12 pt for body text, 13-16 pt for section headings, and 18-22 pt for your name. The exact size depends on the chosen font — some typefaces appear larger at the same point size.

Can I use two different fonts on my CV?

Yes, using two fonts is perfectly acceptable and can give the document a more polished, professional feel. A proven approach is to use one font for headings and another for body text. However, avoid using more than two fonts.

Which fonts should I avoid on a CV?

Avoid decorative fonts (Comic Sans, Papyrus, Curlz MT), calligraphic fonts (Brush Script), and overly heavy fonts (Impact). Times New Roman is also often discouraged because it is associated with school essays. The general rule: if the font draws attention to itself rather than the content, it is not suitable for a CV.

Are Google Fonts safe to use on a CV?

Google Fonts such as Lato, Roboto, and Open Sans work perfectly in CVs exported as PDF with embedded fonts. However, if you send your CV in DOCX format, make sure the recipient has the font installed — otherwise the system will substitute a default font.

What line spacing is optimal for a CV?

The optimal line spacing for a CV is 1.15-1.3 times the font size. Line spacing that is too tight (1.0) makes the text hard to read, while spacing that is too generous (above 1.5) wastes valuable page space. A line spacing of 1.2 is a safe choice for most fonts.

Does the font affect how ATS systems read a CV?

Yes, non-standard and decorative fonts can cause problems for ATS systems. To make sure your CV is parsed correctly, use system fonts (Calibri, Arial, Cambria, Georgia) or export the CV as a PDF with embedded fonts.

Best Fonts for a CV — Top Picks for 2026

What Is a CV Font and Why It Matters

A font (typeface) in the context of a CV is the design of the lettering used throughout the application document — from your name, through job descriptions, all the way down to the GDPR consent clause at the bottom of the page. Every font has its own visual character: letter shapes, stroke weight, proportions, and spacing between characters.

Choosing a font for your CV is not a matter of taste — it is a decision that directly affects three key aspects:

Readability — a recruiter spends an average of 6-10 seconds on a single CV. If the font is hard to read, they will move on to the next application.
Professionalism — typography research confirms that the type of font influences how credible the author is perceived to be. The right font builds an impression of competence and attention to detail.
Technical compatibility — ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software that automatically scans CVs can have problems reading non-standard fonts. A poorly chosen typeface may cause your CV to be misinterpreted or rejected by the algorithm.

Typographic consistency across the document also signals attention to detail — a trait valued by employers in virtually every industry. A professional CV should look like a thoughtfully designed piece, not a random collection of information. Consistent use of one or two complementary fonts is one of the foundations of that effect.

When You Need the Right Font for Your CV

Not every situation calls for deep thought about CV typography. Here are specific scenarios where font choice matters most:

You are creating a CV from scratch — this is the best time to make a conscious font choice. Instead of sticking with the text editor's default, spend a few minutes choosing a font that fits the industry and role.
You are updating a CV after a long break — if your CV is several years old, the font that was once standard (e.g. Times New Roman) may now look dated. Refreshing the typography is a simple way to give the document a modern feel.
You are applying to a creative industry — marketing, design, media — in these sectors, the look of the document is part of your calling card. Thoughtful typography shows you understand design principles.
You are sending your CV to a large corporation — companies that hire hundreds of people typically use ATS systems. Your font must be compatible with these systems for the document to pass the automated screening stage.
Your CV does not fit on one page — switching fonts or adjusting the size can help fit the content without removing important information. Different fonts take up different amounts of space at the same point size.
The CV looks unappealing despite good content — the problem often lies in the typography: a poor font, too small a size, too tight line spacing, or inconsistent styles.

How to Choose a CV Font Step by Step

Below you will find a complete guide that walks you through the entire font-selection process — from typeface category, through specific recommendations, to size and line-spacing settings.

Step 1: Serif or Sans-Serif

The first decision is choosing between the two main font categories:

Sans-serif fonts have clean, simple letter endings without extra decorative strokes. They look modern, are highly readable on screens, and lend the document a professional but not overly formal character. Examples: Calibri, Arial, Lato, Roboto, Open Sans. This is the safer choice in most cases.

Serif fonts have small decorative strokes at the ends of letters, giving the text a traditional, elegant character. They work well in industries that value formality: law, finance, academia. Examples: Garamond, Cambria, Georgia.

You can also combine both types: a serif font for headings + a sans-serif font for body text. This creates an attractive visual hierarchy. The key rule: never use more than two fonts in a single document.

Step 2: Pick a Font From the Proven List

Here are the 10 best fonts for a CV, combining a professional look with excellent readability and ATS compatibility:

Calibri (sans-serif) — the default Microsoft Office font. Safe, universal, with soft letter shapes. Recommended size: 11-12 pt. The best choice if you are unsure what to pick.
Arial (sans-serif) — a classic, installed on every operating system. Clean and readable. Size: 10-11 pt (it appears slightly larger than other fonts).
Lato (sans-serif) — designed by Polish typographer Lukasz Dziedzic. Warm and open, available for free on Google Fonts. Size: 10-11 pt.
Roboto (sans-serif) — the default Android font. Combines geometry with readability. Great for the tech industry. Size: 10-11 pt.
Open Sans (sans-serif) — one of the most popular web fonts. Neutral and readable. Size: 10-11 pt.
Helvetica (sans-serif) — the iconic Swiss typeface. Available by default on Mac; on Windows the equivalent is Arial. Size: 10-11 pt.
Noto Sans (sans-serif) — a Google font supporting all languages. Perfectly renders diacritical characters. Size: 10-11 pt.
Garamond (serif) — elegant and classical. Excellent for traditional industries: law, finance, academia. Size: 11-12 pt.
Cambria (serif) — the default serif font in MS Office. Highly screen-readable. Size: 11-12 pt.
Georgia (serif) — designed specifically for screens. Thicker serifs than Times New Roman make it easier to read on monitors. Size: 10-11 pt.

Step 3: Set the Right Font Size

Even the best font will not do its job if used at the wrong size. Here are detailed guidelines:

Your name — 18-22 pt. The largest element on the page, immediately catching the eye.
Section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) — 13-16 pt, bold.
Sub-headings (job titles, university names) — 11-13 pt. Slightly larger or bolder than the body text.
Body text (experience descriptions, skills) — 10-12 pt. The base size for the whole document.
Fine print (GDPR clause, dates, locations) — 8-9 pt.

Important note: different fonts have different optical sizes at the same point value. For example, Arial at 10 pt appears larger than Garamond at 10 pt. After choosing your font, always check the PDF preview or a printout to make sure the size is right.

Step 4: Adjust Line Spacing and Margins

CV typography is about more than font and size — spacing plays an equally important role in the overall readability of the document:

Line spacing (leading) — the optimal value is 1.15-1.3. A spacing of 1.0 makes the text cramped and hard to read. Values above 1.5 waste page space.
Spacing between sections — use 6-12 pt of space before each section heading. This creates a clear visual division without wasting room.
Page margins — the standard is 2-2.5 cm on each side. If you need more space, you can reduce them to 1.5 cm, but do not go below that — overly narrow margins make the document look cluttered.
Letter spacing (kerning) — in most cases, leave the default settings. Manual kerning adjustments are only needed in exceptional situations.

Step 5: Match the Font to Your Industry

It is worth aligning your font choice with the specifics of the sector you are targeting:

Finance, law, consulting — serif fonts (Garamond, Cambria, Georgia) or classic Calibri. These industries value formality and tradition.
IT, technology, start-ups — Roboto, Lato, Open Sans. Modern sans-serif fonts associated with the tech world.
Marketing, design, media — Lato, Helvetica, Noto Sans. You can afford a bit more creative freedom, but maintain readability.
Public administration, education — Calibri, Arial, Cambria. Simplicity and clarity above all.
Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, science — Calibri, Arial, Georgia. Precision and professionalism.

Universal rule: if you are unsure, Calibri at 11 pt is always a safe bet, regardless of the industry.

Step 6: Test Readability

Before sending your CV, run these three tests:

Screen test — open the CV in a PDF viewer and assess whether the text is readable without zooming in. Ask someone to read one section in under 5 seconds — did they grasp the key information?
Print test — print the CV and evaluate readability on paper. Some fonts that look great on screen lose clarity in print (and vice versa).
ATS test — copy the text from the PDF into a plain-text editor. If all characters display correctly (including any diacritical marks your language uses), your font is ATS-compatible.

Most Common Font Mistakes on a CV

Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to choose. Here are the most common typographic mistakes on CVs:

Using decorative fonts — Comic Sans, Papyrus, Curlz MT, Brush Script, and other novelty fonts have no place in application documents. They make the CV look unprofessional, and ATS systems may struggle to read them.
Font size too small — the urge to fit everything on one page leads to using 8-9 pt for body text. The result? The recruiter strains to read your experience and moves on to the next candidate. The minimum is 10 pt.
Using three or more fonts — every additional font beyond two introduces visual chaos. A CV with five different typefaces looks like a collage, not a professional document.
Inconsistent sizes — if one section heading is 14 pt and another is 16 pt, the entire CV looks careless. Establish a size hierarchy and stick to it throughout the document.
Keeping Times New Roman — it is not a bad font per se, but it is widely associated with school papers and older versions of Word. It gives the impression of zero effort. Garamond, Cambria, or Georgia are better serif alternatives.
Ignoring line spacing — many people change the font and size but forget about line spacing. Text with 1.0 spacing at 10 pt is very hard to read. Set it to at least 1.15.
Not checking ATS compatibility — a font that looks beautiful on screen may be misread by an automated pre-screening system. Always test the PDF export and text copying.

Ready-to-Use Font Settings for Your CV

Instead of experimenting with settings, use one of the ready-made presets below. Each has been tested for readability, professional appearance, and ATS compatibility.

Modern Set (Sans-Serif)

Font: Calibri (alternative: Lato or Roboto)
Name: 20 pt, bold
Section headings: 14 pt, bold, uppercase
Job titles / university names: 12 pt, bold
Body text: 11 pt, regular
Fine print (dates, GDPR clause): 9 pt, regular
Line spacing: 1.2
Margins: 2 cm (top, bottom, left, right)
Space before section heading: 10 pt

Classic Set (Serif)

Font: Garamond (alternative: Cambria or Georgia)
Name: 22 pt, bold
Section headings: 14 pt, bold
Job titles / university names: 12 pt, bold italic
Body text: 11 pt, regular
Fine print: 9 pt, regular
Line spacing: 1.25
Margins: 2.5 cm (top, bottom, left, right)
Space before section heading: 12 pt

Mixed Set (Headings + Body)

Heading font: Georgia (serif)
Body font: Calibri (sans-serif)
Name: Georgia 20 pt, bold
Section headings: Georgia 14 pt, bold
Job titles / university names: Calibri 12 pt, bold
Body text: Calibri 11 pt, regular
Fine print: Calibri 9 pt, regular
Line spacing: 1.2
Margins: 2 cm (top, bottom, left, right)
Space before section heading: 10 pt

All the presets above are ATS-compatible and work well in both PDF and DOCX formats (provided you use system fonts or embed the fonts in the PDF).

How to Speed Up Font Selection

Manually selecting a font, testing sizes, checking line spacing, and verifying ATS compatibility — all of this takes time. For someone who does not work with typography on a daily basis, it can mean several hours of experimentation. Fortunately, AI-powered tools can significantly speed up the process.

Modern CV builders that leverage AI automatically select typography based on the chosen template and industry. Instead of manually testing dozens of font-size-spacing combinations, you get a ready-made, proven typographic setup that you can fine-tune to your preferences. This is especially useful when time is short — for example, when you are responding to a job posting that expires in a few hours.

How to Use CV AI to Choose the Perfect Font

CV AI is a builder that automatically selects the optimal typography for your CV. Simply upload an existing CV or start from scratch — the system analyses your industry and target role, then suggests the right font, heading sizes, line spacing, and margins. All templates available in CV AI use ATS-safe fonts, so you do not have to worry about technical compatibility.

The process looks like this: go to cv-ai.pl, upload your current CV (or start with a blank document), pick a template, and the AI generates a professionally typeset document with matched typography. You can then adjust the details — change the font, size, or heading style — and download the finished CV as a PDF with properly embedded fonts.

This way, instead of spending hours on manual typographic testing, you get a professional result in just a few minutes. It is a great solution both for people who want to prepare a CV quickly and for those who are not confident about typography choices.

Summary

Choosing a font for your CV is a seemingly small decision that nonetheless affects the recruiter's first impression, document readability, and ATS compatibility. The key principles to remember:

Prioritise readability — the font should make the content easy to absorb, not draw attention to itself.
Choose proven fonts — Calibri, Arial, Lato, Roboto, Garamond, and Georgia are all safe options.
Set the right size — 10-12 pt for body text, 13-16 pt for headings, 18-22 pt for your name.
Mind the line spacing — 1.15-1.3 is the optimal range.
Match the font to the industry — serif for traditional sectors, sans-serif for modern ones.
Test before sending — check how it looks on screen, in print, and whether ATS can parse it.

If you want to be sure that the typography of your CV is polished and the entire document looks professional, try CV AI — it will take care of these details for you.