To serif or not to serif.
That is the question in today’s #AskaDesigner.
Serif vs. Sans Serif
The main difference between serif and sans serif are the small decorative flourishes on the ends of the strokes of a letter. Serif has them; sans serif does not.
What About Slab Serif?
Slab serif takes those flourishes and makes them a little more substantial – a little thicker, a little blockier.
Print vs. Digital
While font selection is often more of a personal preference to help deliver the mood of the message, there is one general rule of thumb in regards to selecting fonts for print vs. digital advertising.
When designing ads for digital or mobile, it is best to avoid serif fonts, as serif is more difficult to read on screen. The exception to that rule? Always best to stick with your branding, so if your logo uses a serif font, stick with that but limit to your name only.
Majority Strategies Favorites
“Freight Sans is such an amazing font because of the versatility. The family encompasses a variety of thin and thick for each of their san serifs, serifs, and slab serifs. One could build an entire project by just using this one font family. The serif and sans serif lines of this font are simplistic with a straight regal feel. Its no-nonsense can elevate any project, while the slab serif choices are more fun with a bold in your face feel.”
– Karley
“Trajan is a very classic and clean serif that pairs well with most sans serifs.”
– Bec
“My favorite sans serif lately has been Rift. It has a good height and compression which makes it great for stacking or text heavy designs.”
– Kim
“Garamond is still one of my top favorite fonts of all time. There are a dozen choices of width and italics, and I love the small caps options for headers and subheads. The ascenders and descenders are clean and straight with little embellishments. The capital W has this really beautiful cross in the center where the two Vs meet. It is elegant and adds a sophistication to the font. It’s an easy font to use for more serious topics and always adds class to invites.”
– Karley
“Rockwell and Museo are popular slab serifs, best when used for only the candidate’s name or taglines to help them stand out.”
– Kim
“Proxima Nova and Proxima Nova Condensed are great sans serif options for headlines and subtitles, with a variety of font weights available from ‘thin’ to ‘black’ that are easy to read.”
– Ashlee
“I love it because is well spaced, there are so many options for weight variation, and its overall modern simplistic feel. It’s great for print and digital.”
– Bec
“Lexia looks great when paired with a sans serif font and is a nice alternative to some of the more overused serif fonts. Lexia has a boldness that stands out and offers a variety of font weights.”
– Ashlee
Learn More From Our Creative Team:
#AskaDesigner: How to Make a Good Font Impression
#AskaDesigner: Color Match
#AskaDesigner: Font Do’s and Don’ts