CSS Web Safe Fonts
What are Web Safe Fonts?
Web safe fonts are fonts that are universally installed across all browsers and devices.
Fallback Fonts
However, there are no 100% completely web safe fonts. There is always a chance that a font is not found or is not installed properly.
Therefore, it is very important to always use fallback fonts.
This means that you should add a list of similar "backup fonts" in
the font-family
property. If the
first font does not work, the browser will try the next one, and the next one, and so on.
Always end the list with a generic font family name.
Example
Here, there are three font types: Tahoma, Verdana, and sans-serif. The second and third fonts are backups, in case the first one is not found.
p {
font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif;
}
Try it Yourself »
Best Web Safe Fonts for HTML and CSS
The following list are the best web safe fonts for HTML and CSS:
- Arial (sans-serif)
- Verdana (sans-serif)
- Tahoma (sans-serif)
- Trebuchet MS (sans-serif)
- Times New Roman (serif)
- Georgia (serif)
- Garamond (serif)
- Courier New (monospace)
- Brush Script MT (cursive)
Note: Before you publish your website, always check how your fonts appear on different browsers and devices, and always use fallback fonts!
Arial (sans-serif)
Arial is the most widely used font for both online and printed media. Arial is also the default font in Google Docs.
Arial is one of the safest web fonts, and it is available on all major operating systems.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Verdana (sans-serif)
Verdana is a very popular font. Verdana is easily readable even for small font sizes.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Tahoma (sans-serif)
The Tahoma font has less space between the characters.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Trebuchet MS (sans-serif)
Trebuchet MS was designed by Microsoft in 1996. Use this font carefully. Not supported by all mobile operating systems.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Times New Roman (serif)
Times New Roman is one of the most recognizable fonts in the world. It looks professional and is used in many newspapers and "news" websites. It is also the primary font for Windows devices and applications.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Georgia (serif)
Georgia is an elegant serif font. It is very readable at different font sizes, so it is a good candidate for mobile-responsive design.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Garamond (serif)
Garamond is a classical font used for many printed books. It has a timeless look and good readability.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Courier New (monospace)
Courier New is the most widely used monospace serif font. Courier New is often used with coding displays, and many email providers use it as their default font. Courier New is also the standard font for movie screenplays.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Brush Script MT (cursive)
The Brush Script MT font was designed to mimic handwriting. It is elegant and sophisticated, but can be hard to read. Use it carefully.
Example
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Try it Yourself »
Tip: Also check out all available Google Fonts and how to use them.
