The term “serif” refers to the small flares or extensions of each stroke of a glyph, and typefaces that lack these extensions are called “sans serif” or “sans-serif”. At first, sans serif fonts that emerged in modern history were created for larger-sized prints like titles or headlines. Nowadays, this particular letterform is widely used in digital media or large-size outdoor media like billboards.

However, the career path of these time-enduring typefaces is not always smooth. But why is that, and how can we improve them?

Let’s Admit It; They Are A Bit Boring

The clean and straightforward characteristics of sans serif make most of the typefaces in this letterform readable in larger and smaller formats. Their comparatively excellent legibility means that they would be able to endure the test of time and still look relevant years after they were published. Futura and Helvetica are two examples of sans serif fonts that have been around for decades.

However, this legibility is what makes them feel redundant. Compared to their serifed fonts, sans serif lacked the decorative aspect that makes their counterpart feels grand and traditional. Sure, sans serifs are easier to read on lower resolution computer screens. Still, since practically everyone published their articles using sans serif fonts, some of the most popular fonts are bound to be overused at some point.

While decorative sans serifs exist, their usage is often limited to display fonts—which means they have barely any use outside headlines, logos, posters, or typographic arts. Sure, texts using decorative sans serifs quickly grab people’s attention compared to the more generic ones. However, their quirky and unusual shapes mean their readability in longer, smaller prints will drop significantly.

Our options for fonts suitable for longer texts are pretty numerous, but they don’t really have much in terms of varying designs. That’s why sans serifs look (and feel) a tad boring to those who are not too familiar with typography. To the untrained eyes of the general public, aside from the decorative ones, all sans serif fonts might look the same.

Can We Make Them Better?

We can improve our experience with this letterform in several ways. Unfortunately, there’s not much to do with running texts like word documents except choosing a font and adjusting its size. However, if you are working on a design project, you can try out these tips.

Kerning

Kerning refers to the gap between two characters. Not to be confused with tracking, which is the act of equalizing the gaps between letters of an entire word. Meanwhile, kerning focused on creating a readable, visually appealing text. However, both are equally important to create a balanced and appealing design, so pay attention to both.

In order to execute proper kerning, what you have to keep in mind is that kerning is about perceived gaps rather than mathematical. That means the spaces do not have to be precisely equal in length—they just need to look like they are even. Understanding the different shapes of the letters and how each curve, lines, and edges interact with one another are the keys to balanced kerning.

Font Customization

If you are designing typography, whether for a poster, web headers, video thumbnails, etc., and in serious need of a unique, personalized feel to the project, try customizing your sans serif font. Most modern image processing/editing programs have this feature. Or, if none of the currently released fonts meets your preference, you can also design your own custom font.

Font Suggestions to Play Around With

We’ve learned why some people might see sans serif fonts as boring and unappealing and how we can make them better. Now, it’s time to start applying that knowledge to your project—but you may want to check our font suggestions first:

• Andara is a unique and modern font, great for posters or headlines.
• Chunky is a pretty fun-looking font with uneven heights and an overall blocky shape.
• Strength, a classic yet contemporary font suitable for those who aimed for sophisticated, high-class status.
• Toothless, thin strokes with a big personality.
• Santiago is a bold, brash, modern typeface with a retro spirit underneath.

As mentioned above, some of our examples look more like handwriting fonts than a standard sans serif. This is why understanding these particularly old typefaces are pretty tricky. However, once you’ve mastered this letterform, you will unlock more creativity for your next design project.