Professor Designer: Serif VS Sans Serif

By Tracey Ullom, Designer, CATATILLA Design LLC

What they have in common...
They are both styles of typefaces or fonts.

Serif
A typeface with a presence of a small stroke at the end of a main vertical or horizontal stroke. There are many styles of serifs, such as a slab, slur, bracketed or wedge serif. A serif is sometimes considered a decorative element, but it is widely accepted as the preferred typeface option for books because the serifs aid reading by leading the eye across a line of text.
Common serif typefaces: Times Roman, Garamond, Caslon
Sans Serif
"Sans", french for 'without', describes a typeface that has no serifs. Sans serif typefaces often have features that heighten readability such as a larger x-height. The simplicity of a sans serif typeface often lends itself to signage and large scale printing.
Common sans serif typefaces: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana
Rule of Thumb: Most typefaces are created with a great deal of care and visual consideration, and the right typeface can accentuate your marketing materials in a variety of ways.