Every time a designer generates a document, he/she strives to create something that's attractive and eye-catching. One quandry is selecting the right fonts, and this is Quinter Design's favorite part of the project. Writing a report, ebook, proposal, newletter or brochure involves choosing fonts and deciding which style to use, serif or sans serif.

What's the difference? A serif typeface has small lines at the ends of its characters, as shown in the top illustration. Serif typefaces are said to have originated when Roman stonecarvers signed their lettering with distinctive feet at the bottom of the characters. Typical serif fonts are Times New Roman, Courier, Georgia, Palatino and  Garamond.  

 A sans serif typeface doesn't have the small lines, as shown in the lower illustration. Typical sans serif fonts are
Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma and Trebuchet.

The traditional rule for printed materials is to set headlines in sans serif type and text in serif type. Serif fonts are the mainstay for the body of a document. Those little feet are designed to pull the eye from one character to the next, making the text easier to read. Sans serif fonts are recommended to emphasize headlines, subheads and category headings, especially when bold versions are used.

Reading text on a computer screen or tablet has overturned the traditional rules. Because a light source illuminates the wording, reading text on a screen is entirely different from reading text on paper. Sans serif fonts are preferred for the body of text, as simpler typefaces without the little lines are more easily read on screen. When used at a small size, serif fonts seem blurry and more difficult to read. That's why most websites use sans serif fonts for all text, regardless of length.

Another concern when determining fonts is the balance between serif and sans serif typefaces. A few combinations that compliment each other are shown here. What comprises a good pair? Consider the characteristics of each font: a wide or narrow carriage; the height/depth of the letters that extend above/below the baseline; square or round dots above the "i" and "j"; and the sharpness of the angle of crossbars on "t" and "f". A recent trend in typography is introduction of fonts that include both serif and sans serif styles to assure maximum compatibility, as seen in the last two examples.

Deciding about fonts often returns to the purpose of the document and how the information is conveyed. It's a challenge! If you're uncomfortable making this decision, contact us. Playing with fonts is an aspect of design that Quinter Design absolutely loves. 

 

 The Biz Boost Bundle is designed to jump start your business with custom-designed stationery, cards, poster and enewsletter template, plus creation and online circulation of a news release.

The Strut Your Stuff Bundle is crafted to ensure memorable event participation with a retractable banner stand and custom-designed banner, table drape, enewsletter template, postcards for advance mailing and rack cards for handout, plus creation and online circulation of a news release.

The Show Stopper Bundle is created to make your company unforgettable with a deluxe tabletop display unit with custom-designed panels, table drape, enewsletter template, postcards for advance mailing and rack cards for handout, plus creation and online circulation of a news release.

All packages include marketing consultation with Quinter Design. Contact us to learn more about how a bundle from Quinter Design can help to grow your business.  

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...to our colleague Yihung Mohs, owner of Dream Dinners, Silver Spring, on the shop's 10th anniversary.

...to our great niece Jessica Quinter who, with her teamates from Hammond High School in Columbia, MD, took first place in the Maryland Economics Challenge. They're now headed to the National Championships. Nice to see that brilliance runs in the family!