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Serif:
a line or curve that finishes off the end of a letterform
- The
serif helps the reader's eye distinguish individual letters
while providing visual continuity across words. Stroke width
is variable, thereby creating more visual cues for the reader.
Where continuous reading is required, a serif typeface is usually
preferred over sans-serif.
- It
is used for both Body Text and Headings.
- Serif
is the oldest style of type. The black letter style of type
used by Gutenberg, was, very loosely speaking, a serif font.
Sans
Serif: literally means “without serifs”
- It
was originally introduced by the English type designer William
Caslon in 1816. Because the English thought that it looked primitive
compared to serif type, it became known as “gothic,”
meaning barbarous or primitive.
- It
wasn't until over a hundred years later that the Bauhaus school
of design in 1919 popularized sans serif type design. Stroke
width is consistent, which gives it a clean and modern look
particularly fitting for Bauhaus design.
- Sans
serif is geometric with a strong vertical stress. There is a
higher contrast between plain and bold, lending itself for use
as hierarchical signals such as Headings and Sidebars
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Fundamentals
of Document Design 
