Web safe fonts are a set of fonts that are commonly pre-installed on most operating systems and devices, making them widely available to web designers. These fonts are considered safe to use on the web because they are likely to be present on most users' devices, reducing the risk of the text on a website appearing differently for different users. Examples of web safe fonts include Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana.
Fallback Fonts
Fallback fonts, also known as web safe fonts or backup fonts, are a set of fonts that are used as a substitute in case the primary font specified in a website's CSS is not available on a user's device. Fallback fonts are specified in the CSS using the font-family property, and multiple fonts can be listed as fallbacks, separated by commas. The browser will use the first font in the list that is available on the user's device. If none of the specified fonts are available, the browser will use its default font.
For example, if a website's CSS specifies the primary font as Open Sans and the fallback fonts as "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif", the browser will first try to use Open Sans, but if that is not available, it will try Arial, then Helvetica, and finally, if none of those are available, it will use the default font sans-serif.
This way, the website can maintain consistent design and layout even if the primary font is not present in the client's devices.
Best Web Safe Fonts for HTML and CSS
1. Arial (sans-serif)
Arial is a popular font that belongs to the sans-serif typeface family, which means that it does not have the small lines or flourishes at the end of the strokes that are characteristic of serif fonts. Arial was designed in 1982 by a team of typeface designers at Monotype Corporation, led by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders.
Arial is often used as a fallback font or web safe font due to its wide availability on most operating systems and devices. It is considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as body text, headlines, and captions. Arial is known for its clean, legible design and consistent spacing, making it easy to read on screens of all sizes.
Arial is considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as body text, headlines, and captions. It is a popular font for documents, websites, and presentations. Arial is also often used as a substitute for the more traditional font Times New Roman.
Arial is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
2. Verdana (sans-serif)
Verdana is a popular font that belongs to the sans-serif typeface family. It was designed by Matthew Carter in 1996 specifically for the digital age, to be highly legible on computer screens. Verdana was commissioned by Microsoft and is now one of the most widely used fonts on the web.
Verdana has a larger x-height than many other sans-serif fonts, which means that the letters are taller and more open, making it easy to read at small sizes on low-resolution screens. It also has wider letter spacing, which helps to improve legibility. Verdana was designed with the goal of being highly legible for people with visual impairments, making it a popular font choice for websites and other digital content that needs to be accessible.
Verdana has a clean and modern look, and it's often used for body text and headlines on websites, as well as for captions and subtitles in videos. Like Arial, Verdana is considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes. Also, like Arial, Verdana is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
3. Tahoma (sans-serif)
Tahoma is a popular font that belongs to the sans-serif typeface family. It was designed by Matthew Carter in 1994 specifically for the digital age and is similar to Verdana in terms of design. Tahoma was also commissioned by Microsoft and is included with most Microsoft operating systems.
Tahoma is known for its clean and modern look, and it's often used for body text and headlines on websites, as well as for captions and subtitles in videos. It's considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Tahoma has a larger x-height than many other sans-serif fonts, which means that the letters are taller and more open, making it easy to read at small sizes on low-resolution screens. Also, it has more spacing between letters, which helps to improve legibility. Tahoma was designed with the goal of being highly legible for people with visual impairments, making it a popular font choice for websites and other digital content that needs to be accessible.
Like Arial and Verdana, Tahoma is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, especially Microsoft devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
4. Trebuchet MS (sans-serif)
Trebuchet MS is a popular font that belongs to the sans-serif typeface family. It was designed by Vincent Connare in 1996 and was commissioned by Microsoft as part of their core fonts for the web. Trebuchet MS was specifically designed to be highly legible on computer screens and is known for its clean and modern look.
Trebuchet MS has a larger x-height than many other sans-serif fonts, which means that the letters are taller and more open, making it easy to read at small sizes on low-resolution screens. It also has wider letter spacing, which helps to improve legibility. Trebuchet MS has a unique look, with the tail of the y and the g being slanted, giving it a more dynamic and less rigid look compared to other sans-serif fonts.
Trebuchet MS is considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as body text, headlines, and captions. It's widely used on websites, presentations, and documents. Like Arial, Verdana and Tahoma, Trebuchet MS is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, especially Microsoft devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
5. Times New Roman (serif)
Times New Roman is a popular font that belongs to the serif typeface family. Serif fonts have small lines or flourishes at the end of the strokes, which are meant to make the text more legible in printed form. Times New Roman was designed by Stanley Morison in 1931 for The Times of London newspaper and has since become one of the most widely used fonts in the world, particularly in printed materials such as books, newspapers, and magazines.
The design of Times New Roman is influenced by traditional typography, with a balanced and elegant look. It's considered a classic font that's easy to read, making it popular for long-form text such as books and articles. Times New Roman is also widely used in official and academic documents, as well as in business communication. It's a font that's associated with professionalism and seriousness.
Times New Roman is available on most devices, but it's not as widely available as web safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma. However, it is considered a safe font to use on the web, and it can be used as a fallback font when the primary font is not available on the user's device.
Times New Roman is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
6. Georgia (serif)
Georgia is a popular font that belongs to the serif typeface family. It was designed by Matthew Carter in 1993 specifically for digital media, with the goal of being highly legible on computer screens. It was commissioned by Microsoft and is now included with most Microsoft operating systems.
Georgia has a larger x-height than many other serif fonts, which means that the letters are taller and more open, making it easy to read at small sizes on low-resolution screens. It also has wider letter spacing, which helps to improve legibility. Georgia was designed with the goal of being highly legible for people with visual impairments, making it a popular font choice for websites and other digital content that needs to be accessible.
Georgia has a clean, elegant and traditional look, and it's often used for body text and headlines on websites, as well as for captions and subtitles in videos. It's considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, from long-form text such as books and articles to official and academic documents, as well as in business communication.
Like Times New Roman, Georgia is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, especially Microsoft devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
7. Garamond (serif)
Garamond is a popular font that belongs to the serif typeface family. It is a classic font that is based on designs by the French Renaissance printer Claude Garamond. The original Garamond designs date back to the 16th century, but the font has been updated and revised over the centuries by various typeface designers.
Garamond is known for its elegant and refined look, with its thin strokes and delicate serifs. It's considered a highly legible font that's easy to read, making it popular for long-form text such as books, articles, and newspapers. It's often used in academic and official documents, as well as in business communication.
The font has a unique look, with the serifs being thin and rounded, giving it an elegant and refined look, and the spacing between letters is consistent and balanced. Garamond is considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, from body text to headlines and captions.
Garamond is not as widely available as web safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma, and it may not be present on all devices, but it can be used as a fallback font when the primary font is not available on the user's device. It's considered a safe font to use on the web and it's widely used in print.
Garamond is a free-to-use font, it's not proprietary and it's open-source, which means that you don't need to worry about licensing issues when using it in web design, documents, or any other medium.
8. Courier New (monospace)
Courier New is a popular font that belongs to the monospace typeface family. Monospace fonts are characterized by having the same width for all characters, which creates a uniform texture and makes it easier to align text in columns. Courier New was designed to resemble the typeface used in traditional mechanical typewriters, and it was created by Howard "Bud" Kettler in 1955.
Courier New is known for its clear, crisp and highly legible design, and it's often used for technical documents, computer code, and situations where the spacing between characters needs to be uniform. It's also used in situations where the font needs to look like it was typed by a machine.
Courier New is a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as body text, headlines, and captions. It's widely available on most devices, making it a safe font to use on the web. It's not as widely used as other fonts, but it's still considered a classic font that's been around for a long time and it's often used in situations where a typewriter look is desired.
Courier New is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.
9. Brush Script MT (cursive)
Brush Script MT is a popular font that belongs to the cursive script family. It's a font that simulates handwriting, characterized by its flowing and connected letters, that gives it a more casual and informal look. Brush Script MT was designed by Robert E. Smith in 1942, it's considered a classic font that has been around for decades and it's widely used in advertising and packaging design.
The design of Brush Script MT is influenced by handwriting, with a dynamic and flowing look. It's considered a versatile font that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as headlines, captions, and as an accent font. It's often used in situations where a casual, friendly and approachable look is desired.
Brush Script MT is not as widely available as web safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, or Tahoma and it may not be present on all devices, but it can be used as a fallback font when the primary font is not available on the user's device. It's considered a safe font to use on the web, but it's not as widely used as other fonts and it's often used for specific design projects, such as invitations, posters, or advertising materials.
Brush Script MT is a proprietary font, which means that it is not open-source and requires a license to use it commercially. However, it's widely available on most devices, so you can use it on web design without worrying about licensing issues.