Sans-Serif vs Serif Fonts

Choosing the right font for your website is so important when you’re trying to deliver your message in a clear and effective way.

Did you know that all fonts are broken down into two different categories? Those categories are Serif and Sans-Serif. The difference between the two is very simple: A Serif is a small line attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol. For fonts without a small line attached to the end are called Sans-Serif. The word “Sans” originates from the French language, which means without.  

Fonts for Digital Media

Sans-Serif fonts are considered to be one of the most legible fonts on computer screens. Because of the constraints of screen resolution, the Serifs in some fonts can make text difficult to read on screen. For example, the San-Serif font used in this blog is Arial.

Sans-Serif examples: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma

Best used on: Websites, emails and smart devices

Fonts for Printed Media

Serif fonts are considered easier to read than Sans-Serif fonts in print collateral. Most Serif fonts are widely used in large amounts for body text in print.

Serif examples: Times, Georgia, Courier

Best used in: Books, newspapers and magazines

The next time you’re selecting a font, you may want to consider what it will be used for. Will this be something that will be printed with a lot of body copy? If so, you may want to use a Serif font. Are you sending an email or posting a blog entry? If so, you may want to use a Sans-Serif font so that it will be easy for online readers.