Using a
variety of typefaces (fonts) and colors will trash the look of your site and give your
users a headache.
The font we will choose
for the copy on your site will usually be one of only 4 styles,
Verdana, Arial, Georgia or Times Roman because they are available on
all computers.
NOTE -
We will never
use italics - ever - because of the difficulty in reading
it on a monitor.
We
used a different typeface for each letter in the example below.
Since the
example below is an image and not text you will be
able to see each of the different fonts...
(Recommended Fonts for the Web)
However, it is not
advisable to use images for copy as it takes longer to download
images than text - and images are not 'searchable content' - so
important for effective
search engine rankings.
Below is the same copy as in the image above - but in TEXT
format. Unless you have each one of the fonts used for each
letter below installed on your computer - you will probably only see
one font for all letters...
Recommended
Fonts
for
the
Web
This is because not everyone's
computer has your favorite font installed. If the font you select is
not installed on a local computer then they will
see their default font (typically Times Roman), they will not
see what you think they are seeing. This
can be disappointing to you at best and at worst - can cause
serious havoc to the page content layout with a tightly designed website.
Please remember that reading words on a computer screen is not
at all the same as reading them from a printed page. Do not
assume that if your brochure or business card uses a particular
font that you really like and reads well on paper - that it will
read the same on your website unless it's one of the four
recommended font styles.
The criteria to use when selecting a
font on your website is to decide how much copy your site will have.
If you are presenting a lot of information then you will need a font
that is easily readable at it's smallest size.
Refer
to the chart below of the only fonts we recommend for the web. Verdana wins hands down
in terms of readability at all font sizes which is why we choose
Verdana 90% of the time. It is not the 'prettiest' font in the
world - but 'pretty' is the job of graphical design elements.
Copy needs to be easily read. Period.
If your site has
minimal copy, then one of the other fonts in the chart below will probably suit your
purposes splendidly if you want a little 'variety' - but once
you choose a font - stick with that font throughout the entire site.
Mixing font styles is amateurish and definitely not recommended.
What about font size? For most copy - 9pt to 10pt is best.
Headings can be 11 to 12 pt. Disclaimer copy can be 8pt
but we would not suggest anything smaller. Note - that
each font size below does vary a bit so if you use 9pt for Verdana
for instance - you may want to use 10pt for Arial.
