Overview: Avoid using text as graphics and learn how to use the FONT tag to embed the font of your choice without needing to create a graphic

Many web designers choose to use images to depict words and phrases. However, oftentimes simply using font manipulation with special effects is often enough to deliver the same impact as using a graphic but using significantly fewer resources. This font tip works on almost all Windows machines, but may not work with some Macintosh/Unix machines. If compatibility across all platforms is an issue, you may not wish to implement this tip.

There are dozens of standard fonts that are distributed with every PC that can be used. The above fonts are the standard True Type Fonts that are used dominantly on the web, but essentially any font can be used that is installed on a client's computer.

Syntax: <font face="FONT NAME" size=4>Insert your text here</font>
Font Name: The True Type Font to use (ie: Arial)
Font Size: The Size of the text between -6 and +6

Combining Fonts: When one font may not be available to use, you can specify combinations such that if the first font is not available, the next font will be used and so on. Below is an example which will attempt to use Verdana, then Arial, then Helvetica. If none of these fonts is available, the standard browser font will be used.
Sample: <font name="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size=2>Sample</font>

Important Note: It is important to ensure you use a font that your users have installed on their computer. For this reason, we suggest using True Type Fonts that have become standard on multiple platforms (not applicable for Macintosh/Unix computers).

Using fonts not only eliminates the need for using an image, but also permits the ability to perform special effects with great ease. Web designers can easily add underlining, bold, italics, strikethrough and different colors in a flash. The special effects table below demonstrates the frequently used special effects: