Text: Serif vs. Sans-Serif
When using fonts on screen, it is important to understand the differences between serif and sans-serif fonts. Serif fonts are the fonts that have little tails— fonts like Times, for example. A sans-serif font, such as Arial, lacks these tails. Due to the effects of anti-aliasing, it is important to try to avoid using serif fonts for on-screen use whenever possible. If the are to be used, they should be used at a size large enough to avoid the problems shown below.
From the French sans, meaning “without,” some typography sources refer to sans serif typefaces as "grotesque" (in German "grotesk") or "Gothic," and serif types as "Roman."
Sans-serif examples: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma
Serif examples: Times New Roman, Garamound, Century Schoolbook
Other useful terms:
Kerning - the spacing between the words
Tracking - the space between the characters
Vertical scale - the height of the text
Horizontal scale - the width of the text
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