I was surprised by the statement that typefaces decorated with serifs are easier to read.

Surprised because a typeface with serifs can look crowded. They can also look out of date. Fans of serifs might easily say, “But, serifs are a tradition!” I might wish to answer, “See what I mean,” but I find it easier to change the subject. I really do not want to convert a serif-lover. I am not militant. I just want to be able to submit a short story to a magazine without converting my document to Times New Roman.

Serifs are ancient, supposedly rising before the common era when Roman stonemasons would use a flat brush, loaded with ink, to create the outlines of the intended letters to be carved. The brush flared a bit at the beginning and ending of the strokes, creating small, extra lines, the ancestors of the serif. While the origin of the word serif is debated, one suggestion is that it developed from the Dutch word schreef, meaning marks of a pen.

I like that as an origin story because the font Gutenberg purposefully used imitated popular calligraphy of his time. He chose it because he wanted readers who were used to reading and writing in that style to accept the printed page. This medieval class of typefaces is called “black letter,” because of the overpowering darkness of the black ink.

Eventually, printers created different typefaces because repeating Gutenberg’s “black letters” deprived printers of the means to express their creativity. In 1780, the Frenchman Fermin Didot and the Italian Gianbattista Bodoni designed the modern serif font.

However, these complicated, dark typefaces have not been totally abandoned. The oldest is Bembo, named by the poet Francesco Griffo in 1495 to honor the poet Pietro Bembo. Some black letter typefaces are also used for both important documents and some are used just for fun.

But, what about the messages — to and for ourselves, or the notes that we leave others — that are captured by some sort of writing instrument? What about the appearance of such a note?

The Phoenicians, the Egyptians and the Greeks created the first forms of writing, which bear no resemblance to our scribbles. However, the Greek alphabet provided the foundation for the Latin alphabet, a giant step forward. Old Roman Cursive, the original Latin text, came about during the 2nd century BCE. Unfortunately, it was so difficult to read that comedians ridiculed it., while their audiences laughed.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Amherst neighbors balk at duplex conversion of old farmhouse

Jones trustees ask Amherst town manager to reject library bid

UMass chancellor defends protest crackdown, arrests

Modern homesteading at NHS: Inaugural class seeks to teach students how to live self-sufficiently

School budget leads to lively debate, with a twist, at Westhampton TM

21 arrested at UMass protest last week arraigned on Monday; more to come in coming days

What is interesting is that New Roman Cursive, which began in the third century AD and was still used into the eighth century, was more round than its predecessors. I would guess that the roundness allowed calligraphers to write more quickly and gave them the ability to connect letters, allowing words to stand alone while providing better separation between words.

Those working on a computer can access many fonts that range from the practical to the artistic. Many of these were created to read on the screen and not on the printed page.

Let’s pause here, because I used to be mistaken about words. Font is not a synonym for typeface. However, after reading too many descriptions of the differences between the two terms, I’m lucky to still be able to keep my hands on my keyboard.

So, let’s take a step back. We cannot measure the changes of earlier centuries, but the 20th century was certainly a time of rapid change. At the dawning of that century there were phones, which had garnered instant popularity. There were also some motorcars, but only the very rich could afford them. Futhermore, good roads were still in the future.

Think of the rights women lacked. Consider that electric lighting and indoor plumbing was not universal until the 1930s. Think about flight, about recorded music, about radios and televisions and moving pictures. Last but far from least, think about computers.

Exhausting, isn’t it?

It is also exhausting to weigh the arguments for and against serifs. Some adults say sans serif fonts make learning to read easier for children. But the most popular fonts are Helvetica, Times New Roman and Arial. Two are sans serif and one flaunts its extra little lines.

I thought I found any sans serif font easier to read. As a test, I picked up the two books I am now reading, one a novel and the other a volume that combines history and literary criticism. Both were published with serif typefaces.

What is the real villain? Letters that are too close together and lines that are barely separate.

Susan Wozniak has been a caseworker, a college professor and journalist. She is a mother and grandmother.