Monday, June 1, 2026
Go big (with serifs) or go home
I still see many websites where the main content is in a tiny sans serif font. Why do they go out of their way to make their words hard to read?
I suspect it is due to outdated ideas from ye olde web.
There was a time when people running websites felt compelled to get as much as possible “above the fold”, so a smaller font would help you get more words at the top of the page.
Also, they believed that a sans serif font was better for computer screens because the serifs — those tails on the tops and bottom of letters — would look fuzzy on low resolution monitors.
Those are things you no longer have to worry about.
These days, your visitors are so used to scrolling that it is often the first thing they do. They quickly scan the entire page, top to bottom, to make sure it’s worth their while. There are a gazillion other things on the internet that could be more interesting.
Your readers also have much better computer screens these days. Resolutions are so good that they sometimes go beyond what the human eye is capable of discerning. Not only do serifs show up just fine, they also do a great job of helping you read. That’s because the letters of the alphabet are vertical but we read horizontally. The serifs help glide your eyes along.
I try to practise good typography on Newsonaut because I want it to be an easy read. If you want the same thing for your readers, hop over to Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography. You don’t have to read the whole thing. In fact, he claims to be able to impart the basics in just 10 minutes.
Of course, he would really like you to buy a font, maybe one of his. I can’t argue with that. The quality of a purchased font is often head and shoulders above what you can get for free. Even if you can’t afford to go this route, it’s still a good idea to read his advice. You may be able to find something that comes close on Google Fonts. I use Newsreader on this site.
Just don’t be afraid of serifs. They were invented to make reading easier.
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