With new brick work, you can select the look you want for the mortar joints. If you are trying to match existing brick, use examples shown here to find a good fit.

Make a struck joint with the edge of a pointed trowel, angling the joint from top to bottom. This is an attractive joint, but will collect water on the lower edge.

Use a V-shaped strike or a bent piece of metal to make a V-joint. Strike it quickly after the bricks are laid or the mortar will bunch up. This joint sheds water well.

Cut the excess mortar from the face of bricks as you lay them. Every two courses, check to see if joints are tight.

This is the most common brick joint. Strike it using a piece of pipe or a jointer made for this purpose. It sheds water well and is the easiest to make watertight.

Use a pointed trowel, as with a struck joint, but hold it in the opposite way, angling from bottom to top. It's difficult to make this joint look consistent.

A raked joint looks great, but it is the weakest and the least water-resistant joint. To strike it, use a trimmed piece of wood or a special jointer.