Understanding Serif Fonts
The roman type classification is filled with serif typefaces. Serifs are small lines attached to the ends of strokes in a letter. A typeface that uses these small lines is called a serif typeface. A typeface that doesn’t have serifs is called a sans serif typeface. Roman serif fonts are overwhelmingly used in publications with long text passages, such as newspapers, magazines, and books. Roman fonts are not as popular for use on web pages because the screen resolution of some computer monitors is insufficient to render the tiny serifs clearly. Website designers tend to prefer sans serif fonts.
Categories of Roman Serif Fonts
Roman serif fonts are categorized as old style, transitional, or modern. There are thousands of roman serif fonts. Here are a few examples: Old style fonts were the first of the modern roman typefaces. They were created before the mid 18th century. Other typefaces developed later that were modeled on these original fonts are also called old style fonts. Examples include:
Berkeley OldstyleLegacy SerifBemboCaslonGaramondPalatino
Transitional fonts are attributed to the work of John Baskerville, a typographer and printer working in the mid-18th century. He improved printing methods until he could reproduce fine line strokes, which had not been possible previously. Some of the fonts that came from his improvements include:
BaskervillePerpetuaAmericanaGeorgiaTimes New RomanSlimbach
Modern or Neoclassical fonts were all created during the late 18th century. The contrast between the thick and thin strokes of the letters is dramatic. Examples include:
BodoniFeniceWalbaumDidotElephantAntigua
Modern Classifications
The original classifications of roman, italic, and blackletter aren’t used much by modern graphic artists and typographers as they plan their projects. They are more likely to refer to fonts as being in one of four basic categories: serif fonts, sans-serif fonts, scripts, and decorative styles.
