Home
>
Web Design
>
How To Create A Stunning Drop Capital Effect On Your Web Pages

How To Create A Stunning Drop Capital Effect On Your Web Pages

Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and magazines in the offline world. You will frequently see the large capital letter sinking down into the first paragraph of articles, stories and chapters in the majority of publications you come across.

The drop capital gives the page a nice finishing touch, and certainly adds a more professional looking feel.

Online, the drop capital looks just as good on web pages as it does in print. The only drawback is that you can easily get the whole effect wrong, and end up with a less than appealing result.

The wrong way...

When most people attempt to create a drop capital effect on a web page, they usually just enlarge the first letter by a few font sizes and make it bold.

If you do this on your own web page, you will notice that instead of a 'drop' capital effect, you end up with an odd looking letter which sticks up above the rest of the paragraph, and just looks out of place.

The right way...

There are essentially, two parts to creating the drop capital effect.

Step #1 -

You need to create a drop capital image using some graphic software.

You can use any standard piece of graphic software like Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, or Photoshop.

The drop capital image should ideally be big enough to drop down between 2-4 lines of text, depending on your preference.

You should ensure that the top of your drop capital image is level with the top of the text next to it. The bottom of the image should also be level with the bottom of the lowest text next to it.

This is really the hardest part of creating a drop capital effect. It can be very easy to make the image just a bit too big, or a bit too small. You may find that it will take a bit of trial and error to make it look just right. However, the extra effort will pay off, as the end result will be worth waiting for.

One thing to note: As with any image, a drop capital image can slow a web page if the file size is too big. To help reduce the file size you should save it as a '.gif' image. For even better results you should try to optimize the '.gif' image as well by reducing the amount of colors being used.

Step #2

This step is the easiest bit?

Once you have created the drop capital image, all you have to do now is to insert it into your web page. You just add the image to the web page in the same way that you would with any other image on your page.

When you place it at the beginning of the paragraph, make sure you remember to delete the first letter of the normal text. Otherwise you will end up starting the paragraph with two of the same letter.

Align the image to the left

Initially, you will notice that the drop capital image just sits on top of the first line, instead of dropping down into it. Not for long!

All you have to do now, is align the image to the left, and you will see it drop down instantly into the paragraph.

If you are using a web page editor to create your web pages like Microsoft FrontPage or Macromedias Dreamweaver, aligning the image to the left is pretty easy.

In FrontPage:

Select the drop capital image by left clicking it once. Then click on the align to the left short cut icon in the top menu bar. Alternatively, you can select Format, then Position from the top menu. In the pop up window, select Align Left under Wrapping Style.

In Dreamweaver:

Select the drop capital image by left clicking it once. Then in the properties window, click on the arrow in the drop down menu next to Align, then select Left

If you are using a different web page editor, you should have a similar align option in the menu area. Alternatively, you edit the HTML code directly yourself. Just add the following command in between the brackets of the image tag:

align="left"

Thats literally all there is to it!

If you have multiple pages on your website, youll probably going to need to create a number of different drop capital images for each letter of the alphabet. The extra effort will be worthwhile as you will end up with a much more professional looking website.

About the Author:

Jason Lewis provides ready-made professionally designed drop capital images, as an instant solution for the busy website owner. Each design is available for immediate download and can be added to a website within a few minutes. To find out more: http://www.dropcapitals.com/cmd.asp?ad=93481

licensed cleaning services Glencoe ...

In The News:

NewTree Social founder Maddy O'Connor built a community events app to help people discover local gatherings, wellness events and run clubs nearby.

DoppelCart's 119,000 fake shopping domains steal credit card details at checkout, mimicking over 44,000 real brands with convincing cloned sites.

Hurricane charity scams use data brokers and people search sites to target victims before storms even hit, exploiting personal information..

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Autonomous race cars hit Laguna Seca and Imola Circuit at speeds topping 157 mph, but the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League faces a fan problem.

A LinkedIn romance scam cost Gaby close to $1 million after a scammer returned her first payment to build trust, then escalated requests over two years.

Safari's Notify Me can monitor websites for price changes and restocks, while new AI photo tools let you reframe and extend shots in iOS 27.

FLHSMV traced the Florida DMV breach to credentials from a Plant City Police Department user, but ShinyHunters claims over 200,000 driver records.

Tesla's Cybercab launched in Austin with no steering wheel or pedals, but hidden details about age limits and missing safety features may shock riders.

Moderna and Merck's Phase 3 melanoma vaccine trial showed positive results, but full data and FDA approval are still pending for the mRNA therapy.

Malwarebytes data reveals scam texts peak around noon ET with 874% higher volume than overnight, and Fridays bring roughly 50% more messages.

Over 5,400 legitimate websites now serve fake CAPTCHA scams that trick users into pasting malware commands into Windows Run via ClickFix attacks.

Tuya Smart's Doova AI home robot rolls to seniors who call for help and connects family via live video, but key privacy questions remain unanswered.

Jevon Martinez livestreamed himself removing 10 Flock Safety cameras in Bernalillo County, but authorities say eight belonged to neighborhood associations.

A dark web service called Nexus claimed to hold over 153 million driver's license records, and the FBI confirms it is now looking into the incident.

Asking Siri to call American Express connected an 82-year-old woman to a bogus number that nearly drained $100,000 from her Bank of America account.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

iPhone Duo opens to a 7.6-inch foldable display starting at $1,999, but Siri Recap's ambient listening on Apple Watch may spark privacy concerns.

Homeowners' association meeting minutes and membership lists can expose names, addresses and emails that scammers use to craft convincing phishing scams.

Lima, Ohio, has installed 3,120 floating solar panels on its Twin Lakes Reservoir, projecting nearly $10 million in electricity cost savings.

Amazon's Alexa for Shopping now lets customers verify suspicious emails, texts and phone calls against the company's own communication records.

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs spent 13 days in jail after a Flock camera flagged her Dodge Durango near a fatal Florida crash that killed three people.

AI-powered smart grocery carts are linked to 32% higher spending, according to new research, as Instacart Caper Carts expand across U.S. stores.

A VPN encrypts your connection on hotel, airport and café Wi-Fi abroad, but streaming catalogs and live sports access still depend on provider rules.

Gmail's Verified Sender Program launches September 8, 2026, giving U.S. political committees a more reliable path to your personal email inbox.

How To Create A Stunning Drop Capital Effect On Your Web Pages

Web Design