Choosing the right typeface for your website copy is important, since it will affect the way your readers perceive your page (serious and formal, or friendly and casual). Aside from this, there are also important usability concerns. For example, some font types are more easily readable than others, and some are more widely available.
You want to choose font types that:
There are basically two types of fonts: serif and sans serif. Serif fonts are those that have fine cross-lines at the extremities of the letter. Sans serif ("sans" being the French word for "without") are fonts that don't have serifs. The most common serif font is probably Times New Roman. Arial is an example of a common sans serif font.
Let's go briefly through the most popular font types and evaluate their availability, readibility and character:
Arial:
* For Mac users, the equivalent of Arial is Helvetica.
Times New Roman:
For Mac users, the equivalent of Times New Roman is Times.
Verdana:
Georgia:
Microsoft has also popularized two more fonts: Comic Sans Serif and Trebuchet.
Comic Sans Serif was launched with Internet Explorer verion 3 and mimics the hand writing used in comics. It is easy to read and is informal and friendly, but it is not considered appropriate for more serious, professional sites.
Trebuchet is another sans serif font, similar to Arial but with more character, although it can be difficult to read in small sizes.
Finally, we can mention Courier New, a serif font that was widely popular with old, mechanical typewriters, and that is now used only to present simulated computer code (if you need to present snipets of sample HTML code in your web pages, this is the font to use.)
Therefore, from a usability perspective, the clear winner is Verdana. If you are inclined to use a serif font, Georgia is the best option. Arial remains a good option for specific parts of text, like headlines and titles, where a different font must be used and you can use larger sizes.
-----
You can freely reprint this article. Just include the following resource box at the end:
About The Author
Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net ), an online collection of web design and Internet marketing articles and resources. You can freely reprint his weekly articles in your website, ezine, newsletter or ebook.
Over the course of the last decade, the Internet has... Read More
Did you know that many folks make "buying decisions" when... Read More
Some wise human once said "Learn from the mistakes of... Read More
You just created a new web site but want to... Read More
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More
Everything you say and do says something about you. This... Read More
Thinking about designing your own website? Think again about adding... Read More
Color is one of the most important but least understood... Read More
As an online Entrepreneur you require a successful website.One that... Read More
Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More
CNN.com's designers have gone out of their way to make... Read More
The top ten fonts for website design might change in... Read More
Nope. You certainly don't need a website.But you don't need... Read More
Ecommerce is just exploding right now on the Net. More... Read More
It seems more and more webmasters are using CSS for... Read More
If you'd like to create/maintain a website, having some HTML... Read More
All websites have a homepage. It is the most important... Read More
To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More
Websites, there are literally billions of them out there in... Read More
Creating your own website is great fun! But how is... Read More
There are two camps when it comes to flash web... Read More
In this article you will find the parallel between two... Read More
1. Who needs an artists website?Not everyone! If you are... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
Do your web pages, sales letters or personal presentations include... Read More
The solution lies in creating a 'Database driven website', through... Read More
There are lots of websites out there that do little... Read More
Imagine spinning someone around so profoundly and for so long... Read More
There can be zillions of reasons why your visitors return... Read More
The importance of choosing your website keywords carefully is very... Read More
A Double Ad Tracker is an Ad-Tracker that points to... Read More
FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off... Read More
Your web site has been up for a few months... Read More
Do you know why the majority of people use the... Read More
The landing page or entry page of your visitors is... Read More
Not too long ago while looking for businesses that do... Read More
What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More
Thinking about designing your own website? Think again about adding... Read More
To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More
When designing elements for your webpage, you will often be... Read More
Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in... Read More
So you need a website. You are not sure if... Read More
So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that... Read More
With an increasing number of employment portals emerging, it is... Read More
In today's world, a web site is virtually mandatory for... Read More
Making your site accessible means making it available to be... Read More
Whether you're hiring a designer who has created 10 sites... Read More
One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that... Read More
What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and... Read More
You've likely heard of the movie, Jerry Maguire, with its... Read More
Web Design |