: How are Serif and Sans-serif fonts different, and when should one use one over the other? What is the difference between these fonts, and what are some typical examples of why one might be

@Lengel450

I attended a workshop many years ago in which they cited research that showed that when people read Serif fonts printed on paper, they read faster, with better comprehension than reading Sans-serif.

They said the research showed the exact opposite to be true when read on a screen... On a screen, people read faster and with better comprehension when reading Sans-Serif.

Now that the resolution of monitors has drastically improved, the difference may not be as drastic on the screen but I still follow this guideline unless I have compelling reason to ignore it.

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@Ravi4787994

Sans-serif just means "without serif." The definition of serif / sans-serif typefaces should be self-explanatory.
Sans-serifs for vertical-intensive scanning. Without the serifs, it is easier to jump from line to line and scan for specific characters/words. Distinct characters are more recognizable because they have less in common (i.e. no serifs).
I'm uncited and these are rough generalizations and rules are sometimes good to be broken. See also a good article on typeface combinations on Smashing Magazine, which illustrates how and when to mix these two (sans-serifs for headings and serifs for body is a classic example

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@Speyer780

For print, in the U.S., body copy is usually set in serif, while in Europe it's set in sans serif, and that readers in the various regions are trained to that.

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@Karen819

What they are has already been explained. I like to use serif fonts for a more classical / traditional design and sans for more modern / contemporary designs. That is, of course, not a hard and fast rule.

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@LarsenBagley460

atif089's and Calvin Huang's answers illustrate the main differences quite well.

For the usage, my general rule of thumb is:


Serifs for horizontal-intensive reading. Serifs help the eye to stay on the line while reading, and thus can make reading faster and more effortless.
Sans-serifs for vertical-intensive scanning. Without the serifs, it is easier to jump from line to line and scan for specific characters/words. Distinct characters are more recognizable because they have less in common (i.e. no serifs).


I'm uncited and these are rough generalizations and rules are sometimes good to be broken. See also a good article on typeface combinations on Smashing Magazine, which illustrates how and when to mix these two (sans-serifs for headings and serifs for body is a classic example).

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@Shanna688

Serifs are the usually perpendicular projections found on the termini/endpoints in type. For instance, a capital "I" is usually rendered with 2 crossbars. Those are serifs.

Sans-serif just means "without serif." The definition of serif / sans-serif typefaces should be self-explanatory.

Another name for serif is "roman"; likewise, sans-serif typefaces may also be referred to as grotesque / grotesk or gothic.

There are also different types of serif, such as slab serif—also referred to as Egyptian, mechanistic, or square serif—versus bracketed serifs.

Additionally, there are some typefaces with serifs that are still considered sans-serif. Bell Gothic is an example of this. And, lastly, some typefaces have what are called petit-serifs ("small serifs") or semi-serifs.

Edit: As Charles Stewart noted in his comment, "roman" is also used to refer to the upright straight-lined typestyle (as opposed to italic) reminiscent of classical Roman chiseled type—from which serifs are also derived. "Roman" (by itself) is commonly the base font of a typeface or font family, but there can also be a "bold-roman", "black-roman", as well as "roman-oblique", which is slanted at an angle but maintains the same glyph shapes as the base font.

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@Shelton719

Serif Vs Sans Serif



(a picture speaks a thousand words)
Read @Calvin 's answer for explanation.

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