Fonts, Fonts, Fonts, Fonts

Typography is an immensely important factor in web and graphic design, and one of the things designers admire most. Some love the clean and crisp lines of sans-serif typefaces while others are passionate about the sophisticated and stylish curves of serif fonts.

Modern CSS provides web designers with an unprecedented level of control over online typography. Restrictions are still imposed however by the limited number of “common” fonts—those typefaces that are generally available cross-platform. This article looks at the fonts web designers have available to them, and also considers their suitability for various tasks.

So, although online typography doesn’t have access to anywhere near the wealth of fonts accessible to print designers, there’s more choice than Arial and Verdana. When working on designs, try using something a little different, to make your site stand out from the crowd. And remember: choosing a font isn’t typography—you also need to be mindful of leading, kerning, general readability (notably with the number of characters per line), colors and more. Picking a font is just the beginning.