Web Typography

The Web is not print.
The Web is not print.
The Web is not ...

You get the idea. Unlike ink on pieces of paper, the World Wide Web is not a fixed medium. Any design must account for the user's setup: operating system, browser software and version, hardware configuration are the most obvious.

You can specify whatever typeface you would like, but what will appear on the user's computer depends on the fonts available. If your Web visitors use recent browsers and operating systems for Windows or Macintosh, the safest choices are:

• Serif: Georgia, Times, Times New Roman
• Sans-serif: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana

If your Web viewers use Unix, safe choices are Helvetica and Times. Most markup includes the general specification "serif" or "sans-serif" (as well as others, shown below) which will display the user's default fonts if the specified fonts are not loaded. The following samples are marked up at the same type sizes, and no alternates are defined. If any two look exactly alike, the specified font is not loaded on your system.

Georgia

This head and text are set in Georgia. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Times

This head and text are set in Times. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Times New Roman

This head and text are set in Times New Roman. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Arial

This head and text are set in Arial. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Helvetica

This head and text are set in Helvetica. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Verdana

This head and text are set in Verdana. No generic family has been indicated, so if the font is not loaded on the client computer, there is no way of knowing how it will display. This is the italic style. This is the bold style. This is the bold italic style.

Pot Luck

Samples below are set in Bamboo, an unlikely typeface on most computers. The type will display in your default fonts.

Bamboo: no alternate specified

Bamboo: serif alternate specified

Bamboo: sans serif alternate specified

Bamboo: "monospace" alternate specified. This is a user-defined (or factory defined) selection.

Bamboo: "cursive" alternate specified. This option is not well-supported among operating systems and browsers, and is a user-defined (or factory defined) selection.

Bamboo: "fantasy" alternate specified. This option is not well-supported among operating systems and browsers, and is a user-defined (or factory defined) selection.