How it works
How to draw serif letters: draw the plain letter first, then add a short stroke across the end of each line. This page prints capital A to Z as outlines in Trirong, a transitional serif, to copy from.
Read the full guide
A serif letter in four steps
Skeleton: draw the letter in single lines. Weight: thicken the upright strokes and leave the cross strokes thin, as the stems and bars of E, H and T are on the sheet. Serif: add a short line across the end of each stroke. Bracket: round the corner where a serif meets its stem with a small curve, or leave it square for a slab.
Four kinds to copy
More options has three more: IM Fell English SC, an old printing type with rough edges, Forum, light capitals on Roman proportions, and Holtwood One SC, a wood-type slab.
- Start with the line ILTEFH: straight stems only, with a serif at every end.
- COGSQ has the fewest serifs: none on O or Q, some at the open ends of C, G and S.
Questions and answers
What is a serif?
A small line or stroke fixed to the end of a bigger stroke of a letter. The feet under the stem of an I or a T are serifs. A letter drawn without them is called sans-serif.
What is the difference between a bracketed serif and a slab serif?
A bracketed serif is joined to its stroke by a curve, as in IM Fell English SC and Forum. A slab serif is very thick, about as thick as the upright strokes themselves, as in Holtwood One SC.
How do I see one serif letter large?
Type the letter in Your letters or words. One letter fills the page as an outline, large enough to see how each serif joins its stroke. Set Look to Plain to see it filled in.