How to Add Text to a Photo on iPhone Using Markup & Visme
What do fashion and typography have in common? They both came about out of creative necessity for living more exciting lives. Serif fonts are tidbits of history for typography, just as shirt collars and cuff links are for fashion.
We choose serif or sans serif fonts with conscious and subconscious bias. In the conscious sense, we pick the font we like the best or the one we think our clients will relate to. When you have the subconscious aspect understood and under your tool belt, choosing the perfect font—serif or sans serif—is easier than you think.
Here’s a quick guide to better understand how serif and sans serif fonts are different. Plus, harness that knowledge into making the right font decisions for your brand.
Serif vs. Sans Serif: What’s the Difference?
When To Use Serif vs. Sans Serif for Your Brand and Design Projects
Choose the Right Fonts With Visme
A serif is the small extending section on a letter terminal. These small design ornaments make fonts look like they have feet. We still use serif typography because it has power and presence.
At the highest level, typography is classified into serif and sans serif styles. Many fonts or font families will fit into those two styles. Others would be script and novelty fonts, which are classified differently.
If the only difference between serif and sans serif fonts was the presence or absence of metaphorical feet, we’d have nothing to talk about here. Thankfully, for the sake of dramatic storytelling, serif and sans serif fonts are different in more than one way.
Every style of font carries emotional cues that most viewers relate to. Serif fonts are generally stable, responsible and dependable. In the subtleties, they’re elegant, refined and altruistic. On the other hand, sans serif fonts are modern, relatable and easygoing.
These differences in their personalities affect your designs as well. The same qualities that viewers apply to typography subconsciously extend to the rest of your work. That’s why it’s essential to choose your fonts wisely.
A branding strategy starts with learning about the purpose and emotional factors between a brand and it’s consumer base. From that information, the visual brand assets are put together from that information to create an identity. The typography is a large section of that package, together with the colors and textures.
Earlier, we mentioned the differences between serif and sans serif, but the personality qualities apply to all styles of typography beyond those two. The visual and subconscious stories that fonts tell are the essence of a brand.
If you’re interested in learning more about how fonts work together with colors shapes and composition, you might be interested in our signature course about designing awesome presentations. The best part? You can take this knowledge and use it for other projects.
Here’s a video snippet all about it.
When selecting the font for your next branding strategy or design project, deciding between serif and sans serif is imperative. To select the right one, consider each font style and how it relates to your design. Choose a couple of options in each style using the brand name or content in the project.
Just how colors and shapes influence the story and message in a piece of content, so does the font you choose for a design.
Take a look at this newspaper template. It’s a modern take on a classic composition. Newspapers were the first type of printed media where fonts—as we know them—were used to share content. The titles were laid out in serif typography, reflecting dependability and knowledge. In this example, we used a newer style of serif.
The magic of typography is that it’s not just about choosing which font to use over another, but also about combining styles to create font pairings. Putting serif and sans serif fonts together is essential to visual brand identity.
A strong and bold serif as the primary font pairs wonderfully with a vibrant sans serif like in the logo template below.
While designing with Visme, you have a collection of tried and true font pairings with serif and sans serif fonts. They’re available on the left side panel with all the other design tools you’ll need.
You might be wondering why so much fuss about a fictional foot on the letters that make up the text you read. It’s because of psychology. Fonts and our brains have neural connections in memory, association, the knowledge we’ve absorbed and personal preferences.
Visme makes it easy to create any type of content with the perfect serif or sans serif font. Or with both! You don’t need to have extensive design knowledge to create something great with your team. Collaborate to design the perfect document, video, lead magnet, presentation or infographic your brand has ever shared.
We have a rich library with thousands of fonts and built-in graphics, including icons, animated assets, video backgrounds, shapes, stock photos and videos.
Learn more about fonts in the design section of our blog, the Visual Learning Center. Discover lots more information about the different types of fonts and how to use them for your brand, plus a bunch of roundups full of free fonts to use in your marketing strategies.
Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.
Try Visme for free