It is considered the world’s oldest typeface as its design comes from the lettering carved into Trajan’s Column in Rome. Though Trajan’s Column rarely gets much use in modern graphic design, it signifies an important style in history. Influential Typefaces and Their Design History These assumptions are based on common themes we see every day. You may inherently know that a law firm would probably use a serif typeface, a fancy clothes store may use script, and that a fast-food brand would probably use a sans serif. Even if you are not a designer, sometimes a design choice can make you draw conclusions about a company, person, or piece of media. It requires a balance between versatility and expressivity… everyday accessories, and special outfits for special occasions.” Typography helps us convey ideas that we cannot directly express. French type designer Jean-Baptiste Levee explains that “building a good font collection is like populating one’s wardrobe. There is a need for a wide array of fonts, but you might be wondering why. Some say that script is a fourth category while others claim it fits under decorative. The last category includes decorative typefaces that have other details purely for ornamentation. Sans serif simply refers to text that does not include serifs. Though many minimalists would never use a serif design (thinking it adds unneeded decoration), serif typefaces tend to be more legible than sans serif and are often used in books or printed works.

A serif is an extra bit of detail at the end of a letter reminiscent of a foot or hat. The first two categories are the most well-known: serif and sans serif. It is also important to know that there are three major kinds of typefaces.

Typeface examples