Think of a type face as somewhat similar to the features of a pair of twins. From afar they are the same, holding the key elements to make them similar but at a closer inspection, they each hold unique characteristics that make them their own.

When considering typefaces this is a similar case. They may look the same to the untrained eye, but to those who truly understand the purpose of good typography the proper usage can be a delight.

It is no understatement when I say “I love Helvetica”, I recently have had to ban myself from using it in my day to day design!  Working with this font so closely I can easier identify it but also see why it is a common mistake for some to think most Sans-Serif fonts look the same. Providing you examples of some of the characteristics of the most common fonts will not alone reinforce their purpose, but showing them in practice could help you decipher their differences.