Creative Cut: The Power of Type

Headlines vs. Body Copy

Serif is the curlicue which creates a “harmony” of one letter with the next, recalling the idiosyncratic shape and feel of handwriting.

Sans (without) serif works fine for “shouting” a message, as in headlines, kickers and pull quotes, say the direct marketing gurus; but for “soft-spoken” body copy, serif is the way to go. Not having loops makes sans serif letters a uniform size, which translates to a harsher read.