Serifs vs sans-serifs · Typographic North

Serifs vs sans-serifs

Before we dive into the complex and varied forms of classifying typefaces, let's start with this: we have two major categories – those with small bits at the end of the strokes, and those without. Those tiny end strokes are, in general, called serifs. And the two categories, then, are distinguished by having serifs or not.

They are called serif typefaces or sans-serif typefaces.

Where do we place lettering that looks like handwriting? Or blackletters found in those old bibles? And aren’t there tons of different serifs and sans-serifs? Yes, there’s a lot to explore here. Let’s take one step at a time and explore the grotesque world of type classification.

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