Has the introduction of Calibri resolved or further complicated the lack of consensus on the readability and legibility of serif and sans serif typefaces in print and computer screen platforms? Serif typefaces are those with ornamental curves or finishes to their strokes such as on the rightmost end of the letters r and g. It also revitalized a milestone marked in 2005 as the year in which the one-billionth person in the world officially began to use digital resources to consume written communication (De Argaez, 2006 Larhmaid et al., 2018). Remarkably, the switch from Times New Roman (TNR, a serif) to Calibri (a sans serif) as default typeface beginning with Microsoft Office 2007 drew further attention to this call and emphasized screen reading as a rapidly growing trend (Bigelow, 2019).

This has triggered calls from researchers for a clearer definition of the relevance of type choice for print and computer screen texts (Haenschen & Tamu, 2019). However, there is a lack of consensus among several studies on the reading speed and legibility of serif and sans serif typefaces on different platforms. Though their effects are often subtle, typefaces are in fact crucial to text legibility, comprehension, retention and attitudes to written messages among learners (Dobres et al., 2017 Dressler, 2019 Haenschen & Tamu, 2019 Larhmaid et al., 2018). Studies report that typefaces give form and substance to thought and to language. The choice of suitable typefaces for written texts has been an art of its own since the 14 th century advent of mechanical printing (Bigelow, 2019). We conclude therefore that the introduction of Calibri may resolve the persisting theoretical and empirical differences on the legibility and readability of serif and sans serif typefaces. Based on significant influences of text platform on reading speed and typeface preference, we make new propositions on how screen-based reading and type size may introduce new perspectives in perceptions of serifs as visual stimuli.

The study focuses on influence of text platform (screen or print) on reading speed, the effects of familiarity with typeface, and perceived importance of institutional requirements on typeface preference. Studies show that learning institutions seldom consider the effects of typefaces on learners who also rarely contribute to institutional decisions on typeface choice. The study examines preference of TNR and Calibri among Nigerian students whose universities prescribe TNR for all academic works. The change also points to a festering conflict in the literature on the readability and legibility of serif and sans serif typefaces in print and computer-based platforms. The replacement of Times New Roman (TNR-serif) with Calibri (sans serif) as default typeface on Microsoft Office Word reflects the growing prevalence of screen-based reading.

Writing a paper with calibri font