A Case for Case II: Serif or Sans?

July 22, 2009 by Jerry 

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Yesterday’s post posed a trick question: whether to use initial caps or all caps in presentation text. The trick was to get you to focus on your audience’s ability to perceive your text. The least common denominator in that post as well as this post, as it is in all my posts, and as it must be in all presentations, is to make it easy for your audience to follow you and your graphics. If you do, your audience will make it easy for you; the alternative is inconceivable.

Let’s begin our consideration of serif and sans serif font with a definition from an authoritative source, Dr. Stephen Kosslyn, the chairman the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, whose book, Clear and to the Point, offers this distinction:

                        Serif typefaces (such as Times and Palatino) have little feet, brackets and hooks at the ends
                        of the lines used in the letters; sans serif typefaces (such as Ariel and Century Gothic) have
                        only straight-forward strokes.

The little hooks in serif font make text easier to read because they enable a reader’s eyes to distinguish individual letters. Please note the feeling in your eyes in the serif and sans serif versions of the same sentence:

fox_over_hen1

See the difference? Does that mean that serif is preferable? Not necessarily. First and foremost, consider the Less Is More principle. The differential in fonts is diminished when you reduce a sentence to a headline—as all text in all presentations must be treated. A headline is created by removing articles, conjunctions, prepositions, and adjectives, the parts of speech that form a complete sentence. Please note the headline version of the above sentence:

fox_over_hen2

The four-word headline conveys the same basic information as the earlier nine-word sentence, and the brevity reduces the difference between the serif and sans serif versions. Each version of the headline is easy to see.

In a presentation, the presenter would discuss the fox’s quickness and the hen’s laziness. In a document, which must stand alone, the descriptive adjectives, along with the articles—forming a complete sentence—must be included for narrative clarity. For visual clarity, however, the greater length would require serifs.

Another factor to consider in choosing between serif and sans serif fonts is style trends. A Wall Street Journal article reported on the wide popularity of a font called, “Comic Sans,” a sans serif font offered with Microsoft Word:

fox_over_hen3

The article positions Comic Sans in relation to other popular fonts: “Helvetica is an industry standard, plain and reliable. Times New Roman is classic. Depending on your point of view, Comic Sans is fun, breezy, silly or vulgar and lazy.” It also points out that the font resonates with the simple unadorned fonts that we have become accustomed to in text messaging and email.

Consider too, popular usage. Yesterday’s post also referenced two of the most ubiquitous and important attention-demanding signs in the world, EXIT and STOP, each of which is done in sans serif.

Finally, consider personal taste and the Latin phrase, “de gustibus non est disputandum,” or, there is no argument about taste.

In tomorrow’s post we’ll extend the taste consideration into color schemes.

A Joint Program of Power Presentations, Ltd. & indezine_footer1

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Comments

2 Responses to “A Case for Case II: Serif or Sans?”

  1. Dalin on July 22nd, 2009 7:26 am

    I teach a class that covers this to nonprofits:

    Serif fonts are easier to read in print, but on the screen it’s Sans Serif hands down.

    The reason? Resolution. On the screen, the resolution is so poor that most serifs or “feet” get lost or look splotchy. In print, the resolution is much higher and easier to read.

    On the printed page, serif fonts like Bookman, Garamond (Harry Potter Novels) and Times are easiest to read.

  2. Jerry on July 22nd, 2009 5:08 pm

    Thanks for your second comment in this series. Please keep them coming. Here, too, as with your previous comment, I agree that serif font is easier to read in print. When it comes to PowerPoint slides, however, it’s a matter of individual taste. De gustibus…

    I look forward to more from you.

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