A distinguishing feature of many such typefaces is a triangular serif design, or a flaring of the character strokes where they terminate. These typefaces have very heavy serifs with little or no bracketing. Slab serif type styles appear to be sans serif designs with the simple addition of heavy serifs. Clarendon Clarendons have a strong vertical weight stress. Contrast in stroke thickness is not nearly as dramatic as in the Didones.
Serifs are normally heavy, bracketed, and usually square-cut.
Transitional Character strokes generally have a vertical stress to them. The weight contrast is more pronounced than in Oldstyle designs. Serifs are bracketed and head serifs are oblique. Neo-Classical and Didone Contrast between thick and thin strokes is abrupt and dramatic. The axis of curved strokes is vertical with little or no serif bracketing.