Designed by Luc(as) de Groot in 1994 as part of the groundbreaking, multipurpose Thesis superfamily, The Serif was designed to function as the second tier of the superfamily system – as a perfect type element for headlines, subheads and pull quotes. This wide-ranging project was intended to address the absence of a truly integrated and comprehensive superfamily that could be mixed across styles while still maintaining balance and harmony on the page.

Using his "interpolation theory", de Groot developed a balanced range of weights across the superfamily. Each subfamily is available in several weights and includes italics. Thanks to its diagonal stress and high legibility, The Serif also functions well as a text typeface outside the Thesis system. It is a slab serif and is available in 8 weights.

De Groot would go on to found his own type foundry, LucasFonts, in the early 2000s, with the hopes of creating multipurpose typefaces that are both attractive and functional. LucasFonts has created custom fonts for such prominent public entities as the newspaper Der Spiegel and technology giant Sun Microsystems.

References:
http://www.lucasfonts.com/fonts/theserif/about/
http://www.lucasfonts.com/fonts/theserif/theserif/

Editorial design applications of The Serif include Ellen Lupton’s Thinking with type and Huda Smithshuijzen Abifares’ Arabic Typography. The Serif is also used by alternative newspaper Boston’s Weekly Dig.