Visitors come to your Web site for information, which is mostly in text form. Because the poor presentation of text content can detract from a Web site's usability, those responsible for the site should understand typography basics. Assuming the text content is well written, effective typography can enhance the presentation, perception, and value of text content.
Fonts: There are thousands of fonts (typefaces) to choose from, but most are not recommended for use on the Web since most users only have a limited number of fonts available. You can accom-modate most users by limiting your fonts to those that are almost universally available — Arial, Times, Verdana, Tahoma, and several others. Most Web fonts are "sans-serif" — without the fine strokes attached to the letter forms as found in most print text. Sans-serif fonts appear crisper on most display screens.
Size: If you use the default font size in HTML, it is the equivalent of 12 points in print. But type size for the Web can also be measured in points, pixels, ems, percent, cm, mm, etc. Default HTML headings come in a variety of sizes up to about the equivalent of 36 points. An advantage of using the default sizes is that users can change their browser settings to adjust the type size (and font) for their own viewing needs. However, cascading style sheets (CSS) make it easy to have much more control over the user's experience with your site.
Style: Most every font or typeface, regardless of size, is available in several styles — regular, italic, bold, bold italic, underline, and others. Most Web text is set in regular and bold. Use italics sparingly (it's less readable and should be reserved for typical and formal italicized use, as in a book title). Also, avoid underlines, because that commonly denotes a link to something else in a Web site.
Alignment: Alignment refers to the position of the ends of lines in relation to the margins. The type in this article is set "flush left" — line beginnings are aligned to the left. Flush left typography is the most readable. Flush (aligned) right is best reserved for special cases and is not usually necessary in a Web site. Centered type can work for headlines and subheads, but should not be used for text because it's hard to read. Justified type works for newspapers and magazines, but is not advisable for the Web.
Format: Formatting refers to line spacing, paragraph spacing, and other related features. The amount of control you have over these features depends on the capability of your Web authoring software and/or your knowledge of HTML and CSS. The goal of text formatting is to enhance readability. Strive to keep paragraphs short in length and provide enough line spacing to avoid a heavy, dense appearance.
Color: Novice designers tend to get carried away with color when setting type. Strive for readability — it's hard to go wrong with black type on a white or pastel background. Blue and purple should be avoided, as they are standard colors used for links.
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