sansserif

Sansserif, commonly written as sans-serif, is a style of typeface that lacks the serifs—small decorative strokes at the ends of letters found in serif typefaces. Sansserif designs emphasize clean, straight lines and generally uniform stroke widths, which can produce a crisp, modern appearance. They are often categorized as grotesque, neo-grotesque, humanist, or geometric, based on proportions and design approach.

Historically, sans-serif origins date to the 19th century, with early revivals in the 1800s and later developments in the 20th century. The term grotesque was used for early sans faces. The mid-20th century saw rapid adoption in signage and corporate branding, with geometric and grotesque families such as Futura, Helvetica, Univers, and Akzidenz-Grotesk becoming influential in graphic design and typography.

Today sansserif is widely used in digital interfaces, websites, and user interfaces due to legibility on screens and simple rendering at small sizes. In typography practice, serif faces are often preferred for long-form printed text, while sans serifs are favored for headings, UI elements, and web content. In CSS, the generic family name sans-serif is used to select a system-dependent sans font. The category continues to evolve with digital-friendly features such as variable fonts and redesigned geometric and humanist styles.