The majority of formal western fonts can be distinguished into two main groups: serif and sans-serif. A serif is a small hooked end on the letter forms in a font. Fonts with serifs are refered to as serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, a common font on most computers. Sans-serif fonts (from the French sans, meaning without) do not have serifs. Examples of sans-serif fonts include Helvetica, Geneva, Verdana, and Arial.

A serif font. The ends and most angles have extra strokes which improve the readability and æsthetics of the font. (typeface: Palatino Linotype).

A sans-serif font. The ends and corners are straight and simple. (typeface: Myriad)

Serifs come in many different styles, and serif fonts tend to vary more than sans-serif fonts. Compare the following typefaces. A slightly different serif style can give an entirely different feel to a font.

Village Square (slab serifs)	Palatino Linotype
Goudy Old Style	Poster Bodoni
Jenson	Times New Roman
Minion