If you're choosing between Garamond and Times New Roman for a print book, the answer depends less on personal taste and more on the physical demands of your project. Both are classic serif body fonts with centuries of credibility, but they behave very differently on paper. Understanding those differences will save you from costly reprints and disappointed readers.

Why Does Font Choice Matter So Much in Print?

A serif body font carries the entire reading experience on its shoulders. In a 300-page novel, readers spend hours looking at those letterforms. The right font reduces eye strain, sets the tone of the text, and signals professionalism before a single word is read. The wrong one turns pages into a chore.

Garamond, designed in the 16th century by Claude Garamont, has an organic warmth. Its letters are slightly condensed, with moderate contrast between thick and thin strokes. Times New Roman, created in 1931 by Stanley Morison for The Times of London, was engineered for dense newspaper columns. It is narrower, sharper, and more utilitarian in character.

Which Font Fits Your Book's Format?

Trim size and page count matter more than you think. Garamond's slightly larger x-height and open counters make it generous on the page without wasting space. It tends to set roughly 10–15% longer than Times New Roman at the same point size. This means a manuscript that lands at 280 pages in Times New Roman might expand to 310 pages in Garamond affecting printing costs.

Times New Roman's narrower letterforms pack more words per line. If your printer charges per page or you are working within a strict page budget, Times New Roman gives you tighter typesetting. However, that density can feel cramped in large-format trade paperbacks (6×9 inches or larger), where Garamond's breathing room becomes a clear advantage.

Match the Font to the Genre and Audience

Literary fiction, memoirs, and poetry collections benefit from Garamond's elegant, literary personality. It has long been the house font of choice for publishers like Hachette and is deeply associated with serious book culture. Readers subconsciously associate it with quality.

Times New Roman, on the other hand, feels more neutral and institutional. It works well for academic texts, reference books, nonfiction with dense information, and technical manuals. Its clarity at small sizes also makes it practical for footnotes and endnotes.

Consider Your Paper Stock

On uncoated, cream-colored paper standard for most trade novels Garamond's softer strokes produce a warm, inviting texture. On bright white offset paper common in academic printing, Times New Roman's crisp edges hold up well and maintain legibility under harsh lighting.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Setting the font too small. Garamond reads comfortably at 11–12 pt; dropping below 10.5 pt makes thin strokes disappear. Times New Roman can hold up at 10 pt but looks institutional at that size.
• Ignoring leading. Both fonts need generous line spacing at least 120% of the point size. Crowded lines defeat the purpose of choosing a quality serif.
• Using default software versions. The Garamond bundled with most operating systems (Garamond MS or Adobe Garamond) differs significantly from EB Garamond or Cormorant Garamond. Test the specific version you plan to use.
• Not proofing on actual paper. Screen rendering never matches print output. Always print a sample chapter on your target paper stock before committing.

Your Quick Decision Checklist

1. Define your page budget and trim size first.
2. Identify your genre and reader expectations.
3. Test both fonts at your target point size and leading on sample pages.
4. Print physical proofs on your chosen paper stock.
5. Evaluate legibility, tone, and page count impact side by side.
6. Choose the font that serves the reader's comfort not just your preference.

Neither Garamond nor Times New Roman is universally superior. One is a poet in a library; the other is a journalist at a desk. Your book knows which one it needs you just have to listen to the pages.

Get Started