Web typography

Web typography refers to the use of fonts on the World Wide Web. When HTML was first created, font faces and styles were controlled exclusively by the settings of each Web browser. There was no mechanism for individual Web pages to control font display until Netscape introduced the <font> tag in 1995, which was then standardized in the HTML 2 specification. However, the font specified by the tag had to be installed on the user's computer or a fallback font, such as a browser's default sans-serif or mono space font, would be used. The first Cascading Style Sheets specification was published in 1996 and provided the same capabilities.

The CSS2 specification was released in 1998 and attempted to improve the font selection process by adding font matching, synthesis and download. These techniques did not gain much use, and were removed in the CSS2.1 specification. However, Internet Explorer added support for the font downloading feature in version 4.0, released in 1997. Font downloading was later included in the CSS3 fonts module, and has since been implemented in Safari 3.1, Opera 10 and Mozilla Firefox 3.5. This has subsequently increased interest in Web typography, as well as the usage of font downloading.

The core purpose of all web design is communication. Whether we’re talking about an online retail store, a web presence for a Fortune 500 company, or a profile for a social networking site, typography is a vital component. For most people, typography is simply about arranging a familiar set of shapes to make words, sentences, and paragraphs. Having the ability to set type with only a few strokes on a keyboard has allowed us to forget about the creative and artistic possibilities of this medium.

There are numerous obstacles to the effective customization of typography for the Web—and I’ll address these in the coming pages—but the power of type should be motivation enough to push the proverbial envelope. Unconvinced? Pick up a magazine, turn on a television, or take a walk through a grocery store. You will undoubtedly see hundreds of creative and effective uses of type. It is the substance of branding, the key to unspoken communication, and an essential piece of the web design pie.

In order to unlock the potential of type, we must first understand it. Admittedly, this is no easy task. The minute details of letter forms and the spaces around them have been carefully calculated over centuries of investigation and practice. In the early days of print, every letter of every typeface had to be carved into wood or cast from lead, inked, and then pressed into paper. This was a handcrafted profession requiring exacting attention to detail. Even though the practicality of this practice has long been surpassed by modern printing methods, many colleges and universities offer classes in letterpress, so that future graphic designers can both appreciate the benefits of working with type on a computer, and see the potential for typographic exploration.

The history and implementation of type is a topic that could fill hundreds of books—and indeed, it has. In this chapter, though, I’ll merely provide a brief introduction to the world of typography.