introduction to font family

Serif

In typography, a serif /ˈsɛrɪf/ is a small line attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol, such as when handwriting is separated into distinct units for a typewriter or typesetter.
A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface (or serifed typeface).

sans-serif

In typography, a sans-serif, sans serif, gothic, san serif or simply sans typeface is one that does not have the small projecting features called “serifs” at the end of strokes.
The term comes from the French word sans, meaning “without”.

Monospaced

A monospaced font, also called a fixed-pitch, fixed-width or non-proportional font, is a font whose letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space.
This contrasts with variable-width fonts, where the letters differ in size from one another, as do spacings in between many letters.

handwriting

Also called script typefaces, are based upon the varied and often fluid stroke created by handwriting.
They are organized into highly regular formal types similar to cursive writing and looser, more casual scripts.

display

Display type refers to the use of type at large sizes, perhaps 30 points or larger.
Some typefaces are considered useful solely at display sizes, and hence are known as display faces.
For typefaces used across a wide range of sizes, in the days of metal type, each size was cut individually, or even if pantographically scaled would often have adjustments made to the design for larger or smaller sizes, making a “display” face have distinct differences.