TeX has been using computer modern (CM) font since its inception. But that “TeX” look may become a bit tiring. Of course, TeX is a typesetting engine, it is not limited to CM fonts. On the other hand, there aren’t so many fonts around for both the text and the math. (If you have no math,  xeTex makes it easy to use most fonts you can imagine, including the Microsoft and google families).

I found a very clear review of existing alternatives at the Font usage post, by Ryosuke Iritani (入谷 亮介). I have taken his suggestions and created a gallery, with a simple sample of text and equations.

More elegant Palatino

\usepackage[sc]{mathpazo}
\linespread{1.05} % Palladio needs more leading (space between lines)
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

Kpfonts (Palatino-like)

\usepackage{kpfonts}

Libertine

Used e.g. in Wikipedia on each sectioning

\usepackage{libertine}
\usepackage{libertinust1math}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

STIX

Scientific and Technical Information Exchange; Times-based but much more elegant than txfonts package.

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{stix}

Garamond

It’s a bit thin and less friendly

\usepackage[urw-garamond]{mathdesign}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

Utopia (Adobe)

\usepackage[adobe-utopia]{mathdesign}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

Charter

\usepackage[charter]{mathdesign}

Crimson (with math support)

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{cochineal}
\usepackage[cochineal,varg]{newtxmath}

Baskervald

Baskerville-based, thicker font

\usepackage[lf]{Baskervaldx} % lining figures
\usepackage[bigdelims,vvarbb]{newtxmath} % math italic letters from Nimbus Roman
\usepackage[cal=boondoxo]{mathalfa} % mathcal from STIX, unslanted a bit
\renewcommand*\oldstylenums[1]{\textosf{#1}}

Helvetica

So far, the only font not included the Iritani’s Font usage post!

\usepackage{helvet}
\usepackage{sansmath}

\usepackage{titlesec}  % this enforces helvetica in section and chapter titles
\titleformat{\chapter}[display]
  {\normalfont\sffamily\huge\bfseries}
  {\chaptertitlename\ \thechapter}{20pt}{\Huge}
\titleformat{\section}
  {\normalfont\sffamily\Large\bfseries}
  {\thesection}{1em}{}

% In main text, at the beginning:
\fontfamily{phv}\selectfont

% before the first equation:
\sansmath

The code

All the above was produced with variations of this file. I just run latex on it, then dvips to get a ps file, which I then crop and export as PNG using the GIMP. Of course, depending on the system, some LaTeX packages may be needed, as well as fonts (I had to install urw-garamond on my arch linux system, for example.)

\documentclass{article}

\newcommand{\bfr}{\mathbf{r}}
\newcommand{\bfu}{\mathbf{u}}
\newcommand{\bfq}{\mathbf{q}}

\usepackage{amsmath}

\usepackage{libertine}
\usepackage{libertinust1math}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

\usepackage{lipsum}% for filler text

\begin{document}

\section{A section}

\lipsum[10]

Equations:

\begin{equation}
\frac{d \mathbf{u}}{d t} = - \nabla p + \nu \nabla^2 \mathbf{u},
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
E &= m c^{2},\\
T &= 2\pi \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}
\end{split}
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}
\iint \phi = - \oint p
\end{equation}
\end{document}