About
Typefaces and
Fonts
Typeface Classification
One way of classifying the different typefaces is to group them into the following categories:
Serif
A serif is a decorative line or tail on the ends of the strokes of a letter. Serifs, usually on the lower half of a letter, have also been
T referred to as feet or curlicues. imes Roman Courier, ITC Bookman, New
Century Schoolbook, Palatino, and Times are serif typefaces. In the example shown, all the letters except “e” and “o” have serifs.
Sans Serif
Sans serif (“sans” is French for “without”) indicates a typeface without any of these small tails. A
sans serif typeface is decorative by the shape and styling of its letters but has less detail than a serif typeface. Helvetica, Helvetica Condensed, Helvetica Narrow, and ITC Avant Garde Gothic are all sans serif typefaces. In the example shown above, the slight curving at the bottom of the letters “t” and “a” is not a serif. It is part of the line forming the letter rather than a decorative line added on.
Script
Script typefaces simulate handwriting or brush lettering. Each letter is connected visually, if not
Zapf Chanceryphysically. ITC Zapf Chancery is a script typeface.
Professional Printing |