A serif typeface has projecting finishing strokes, or curlicues, at the ends of its main letter strokes. This gives it a more traditional and formal appearance than a plain sans serif design. section 4.1.3
Serif choices can help communicate reliability, trustworthiness, solidity, or conservatism. They suit formal contexts such as hospital and bank websites, while many sites prefer sans serif body text. section 4.1.3 section 4.1.4
Common serif typefaces illustrate different levels of formality and emphasis:
- Times New Roman offers a classic, formal look suited to documents or websites conveying solidity and conservatism. section 4.1.4
- Bodoni uses high contrast and often appears in titles and headings. section 4.1.4
- Garamond provides an elegant, timeless style commonly associated with books and printed materials. section 4.1.4
- Cambria is readable but remains a serif font that some guidance recommends avoiding for website body text. section 4.1.3
Choosing a typeface for a website
A bank website can use Times New Roman to reinforce a formal, trustworthy impression. A site seeking a simpler screen-reading experience might instead choose Verdana, a sans serif typeface designed for onscreen reading. section 4.1.3 section 4.1.3
