The Internet has changed a lot since its inception, with only a handful of fonts originally designed to help read text on low-resolution screens and make IT easier on the eyes. According to one researcher, people spent less than 30 minutes a month surfing the Web in 1996. Yet, according to a recent study, we now spend an average of seven hours a day online.

In an effort to provide the ideal long reading experience, Google on Thursday unveiled Roboto Serif, a new font that officials say makes online reading "more comfortable."

Commercial Type was commissioned by Google to create the new font, and Roboto Serif is now part of the Roboto family of fonts, which also includes Roboto Sans, Mono, Slab and Condensed. Commercial Type experimented with different font proportions, contrasting types and shapes to improve readability.

Commercial Type's final Roboto Serif font is a font with four variable axes and six optical sizes that can be adjusted in thickness, width, size and grade, and can be selected from nine font versions.

IT Home has learned that the Roboto Serif font is already available for download through Google Fonts and is free to use.