When choosing the font type that we want for the title of a text document, the content of a web page or even the sign of a commercial brand, there is one aspect that must always be considered: the possibility of including serif font. In this post we are going to explain what exactly this is and why it is more important than you might think at first.
The term serif comes from the French word serif, which could loosely be translated as "finish" or "decoration." In our language there are other names for this concept: grace, skate, terminal... In any case, it is a different finish that is given to a certain type of font to make it aesthetically more pleasing to the eye and, in theory, also More legible.
By contrast, the typeface that lacks these small ornaments is called sans serif (without serif). It should be noted that not all types of fonts that exist in the world have a serif variant, although some of the most popular and used ones do, such as Georgia, Garamond or Times.
Origin of the serif
Font typologies with serifs and ornaments are not an invention that came precisely from the hand of word processors or through the Internet. There is a very interesting book that deals with this issue: The Origin of the Serif (1968), by Edward Catich.
In this work, the author explains how the use of the serif dates back to Roman times and he even dares to give an explanation about its origin: at that time, during the process of inscribing a text on stone, these were marked with small strokes before being engraved with a chisel. The marks, initially used only as a reference (this can be seen in the image above), thus became a kind of final decoration.
As a curious fact, it must be added that Also in Japanese typography there is a serif variant. In writing kanji y kana, the serif (Uroko) is called "fish scale."
Different serif fonts
All the different types of fonts that incorporate serif can be grouped into four large groups or subdivisions. They are the following:
Old style
It dates back to the time of the invention of the printing press. It is characterized by the use of thin, diagonal serifs whose thickness can barely be distinguished from that of the letter itself. It is a very readable style. Some examples of this type of sources are Garamond (in the text above) or palatine.
Transitional type
As its name suggests, this serif typeface is halfway between old style and modern. It began to be used in the XNUMXth century and is characterized by the increasing differentiation of the thick stroke of the letter and the finer stroke of the serif. Some examples are typographic fonts Times Roman y Georgia, as shown in the image above.
Egyptian serif
The Egyptian serif, also called "slab serif", emerged in the mid-XNUMXth century, characterized by thick finials and the absence of support lines. A peculiarity of this style is that all the letters have the same width, imitating the typology of typewriter letters. Good examples of Egyptian serif are the styles Clarendon y Courier.
modern serif
Finally, we must mention the modern serif type. The font and the serif are perfectly distinguished by their difference in thickness, while the orientation is vertical (unlike the old style, where it tended to be diagonal). Modern types, such as Boldoni o Century Schoolbook, are more aesthetically accomplished, although sometimes they sacrifice legibility.
When is serif font used?
Although there is no rule, in general, the use of serif font usually depends on the use or nature of the text.
It is accepted as a convention that sans-serif typologies should be reserved for short formats: posters, brochures, headers, etc. Instead, Serif fonts are best suited for long texts, such as a novel, manual, newspaper, or academic work.. The main reason for this is that, in principle, these typefaces are easier on the eyes and easier to read.
However, it has been shown that when it comes to digital formats (web pages, blog posts, informational screens, etc.), that readability is not improved by using serif letters. Just the opposite: in these cases it usually gives better results to use sans serif letters. This is partly explained by the resolution of many screens.
Finally, almost as a curiosity, it should be noted that serif fonts are much more popular in Europe than in the United States. This is probably simply a matter of taste or tradition.