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Using serif fonts

Question:

Recently, I read that printed documents should be in a serif font. What is that, and why should I use it?

Answer:

A serif font contains serifs—tiny projections or "tails" at the ends of the strokes in a letter. A typical example is Times New Roman. A font like Arial, which does not have serifs, is called a sans serif font (from the French word sans, meaning "without").

A serif font is the norm for text in the body of a print document. It's been shown that readers prefer this type of font. Serifs may help to connect the letters in a word and guide the eye across the printed page, making reading faster and easier.

Sans serif fonts are popular with Web designers, who find them clearer and sharper on computer screens. In print documents, however, sans serif fonts are considered less easy to read and are used mainly to emphasize short items like titles or headings.