Web Safe Fonts - An Introduction

Fabian Inzillo, Miami , Florida
123Triad: Web Design & SEO Company

Web Safe Fonts - An Introduction

1. Web safe fonts, what are they?

Practically every personal computer do has a set of fonts that are installed. These fonts are put there by the manufacturer of the computer or are usually the default sets of fonts for the operating system which the computer is using. However, one should note that it is possible to install additional fonts on his own.

However, one should also note that not all font sets are equally created. Different computers can have different font sets installed, and many casual computer users do not know the difference. When one is designing a Webpage, he needs to keep this fact in mind. If one decides to use a font on his page that a visitor does not have, that font usually will render differently (and more often unattractively) on the machine of the visitor.

So, how does one make sure that his fonts will look good on many computers out there? The answer is very easy: one should use Web safe fonts. As computing goes through evolution, considerations for the Web have also taken effect for many modern operating systems as well as Web browsers. One of these considerations is a list of fonts that are Web safe which Web designers can use to ensure their fonts do render properly. Web safe fonts are usually a set of fonts that are highly common which come installed on almost every computer out there. Some computers that are older may not have a few fonts that are considered Web safe today, but they are very few.

2. Who then is supposed to use web-safe fonts?

Every Web designer is supposed to use Web safe fonts. There are some particular cases where one will want to use a special font that is non-Web-safe, but these cases are usually rare. One wants to make sure his fonts are always easily read by his users. By keeping ones fonts readable with fonts that are Web safe, one retains readership and makes his site more accessible to a majority of people.

I do guess that the best answer to the question “who is supposed to use Web safe fonts” can just be summed up with one word: “everybody.”

3. Why should web safe fonts be used?

As I have explained above, if one uses a font on his page that his visitor does not have installed, their browser mostly will pick a fallback font that one may not intend to appear on his page. Often, the result is an ugly text which is not pleasing to read at all.

If a visitor can not fluidly read ones site, then he or she can not get the information he provided, and this is the main reason ones visitors are at his site! Even if the text on ones site is ugly and somebody decides to trudge through it for his content, it still will look displeasing and he will retain few readers. A Website that has no readers is a waste.

Using fonts that are Web safe is just one part of a larger set of design practices which keep ones site user friendly. One should not strain a reader’s eyes, he should not make information difficult to find, and ensure they can progress through his site as well content without them having to think about it. If at any point a person looks at ones site and even takes a millisecond to think, it implies the text is an ugly one, one has jarred the experience. Ideally, the whole encounter with ones site should be smooth like silk, and using a font that is Web safe is a big part of attaining this goal.

123Triad webdesign offers affordable custom website design. Our full service website design company only hires certified website designers. Please contact us today on 1-800-720-0816 for your next web site design project.

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