Practically every personal computer has a set of fonts installed. These fonts are usually put there by the computer manufacturer or are the default sets of fonts for the operating system that computer is using. It’s possible to install additional fonts on your own.
However, not all font sets are created equal. Different computers can have very different sets of fonts installed, and most casual computer users never know the difference. When you are designing a Webpage, you need to keep this in mind. If you decide to use a font on your page that a visitor doesn’t have, that font will render differently (and often unattractively) on the visitor’s machine.
So, how do you make sure that your fonts will look good on the largest number of computers out there? Easy: use Web safe fonts. As computing evolves, considerations for the Web have taken effect for modern operating systems and Web browsers. Among these considerations is a list of Web safe fonts that Web designers can use to make sure their fonts render properly. Web safe fonts are a set of highly common fonts that come installed on just about every computer out there. Some (really) older computers may not have a few of the fonts that we consider Web safe today, but they are a minority.
If you use a font on your page that your visitor doesn’t have installed, their browser will pick a fallback font that you may not intend to appear on your page. Often, the result is ugly text that is not at all pleasing to read.
If a visitor can’t fluidly read your site, then he or she can’t get the information you provided, and this is the whole reason your visitors are at your site! Even if the text on your site is ugly and someone decides to trudge through it for your content, it will still look displeasing and you will retain fewer readers. A Website with no readers is a waste.
Using Web safe fonts is just one part of a larger set of design practices that keep your site user friendly. Don’t strain a reader’s eyes, don’t make information difficult to find, and make sure they can progress through your site and content without having to think about it. If at any point someone looks at your site and takes even a millisecond to think, “Ugh, that’s some ugly text,” you’ve jarred the experience. Ideally, the entire encounter with your site should be smooth as silk, and using a Web safe font is a big part of attaining that goal.
Author: David Rodriguez
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Thanks for a very informative blog.