Typefaces fall into four main families: serif fonts (with small decorative strokes, like Times New Roman) feel traditional and trustworthy; sans-serif fonts (clean, no strokes, like Helvetica or Montserrat) feel modern and are most readable on screens; script fonts imitate handwriting and suit invitations or logos; display fonts are bold and decorative, used sparingly for headlines only. Typographic hierarchy -- using size, weight (bold vs. regular), and color to show which text matters most -- helps a reader scan a design in seconds rather than reading every word. A safe pairing rule for beginners is to combine exactly two typefaces: one for headlines and one for body text, ideally a serif with a sans-serif for contrast, and never more than three fonts in a single design. Line spacing (leading) and letter spacing (tracking) that are too tight make text feel cramped and harder to read, especially for body copy under 14px.