Browser compatible fonts - which fonts to use on web pages?

Browser compatible fonts - which fonts to use on web pages?

One of the variables in web site design is the availability of fonts on visitor's computer. For example, you would have instructed the text on your web pages to be displayed in MS comic sans, but if your visitor does not have this font, the browser uses the default font. This messes the overall design of the web page, which you so meticulously created.

To overcome such system inconsistencies, it's advisable to use a set of fonts that will determine, on a priority basis, which font to use for display.

Fonts can be specified using the tag or Style sheets.Specifying font families with tag is achieved with the FACE attribute as:



And with Style sheets we use the font-family selector..imp {font-family: Arial, Verdana, Sans-serif;
color: #000000:
Any case, here are font-families that should provide adequate cross-browser compatibility.

The Sans-serif family
Arial, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif

The Serif family
Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif

The Monospace family
Courier New, Courier, monospace


For maximum font compatibility or if you are too particular of the fonts to be used on your web site, I recommend using the embedded font technologies or using Bitstream Font Player, which allows you to use a select set of fonts available from them. however, the question that you should ask yourself - Would I download and install a font just to view a web site the way the designer wanted me to?