TYPE SIZE & FONT SELECTION

Changing Type Size

O MAKE
webpages more interesting we can vary the size, color and design of type
on the page. You must first understand what the default settings are: what
you get when you specify nothing. The default type font is usually Times
New Roman in about 12 pt. size as you would see it in your word processor.

Below are the Windows XP standard fonts:

Arial

Arial Black

Arial Bold

Arial Bold Italic

Arial Italic

Comic Sans MS

Comic Sans MS Bold

Courier New

Courier New Bold

Courier New Bold Italic

Courier New Italic

Estrangelo Edessa

Franklin Gothic Medium

Franklin Gothic Medium Italic

Gautami

Georgia

Georgia Bold

Georgia Bold Italic

Georgia Italic

Impact

Latha

Lucida Console

Lucida Sans Unicode

Microsoft Sans Serif

Modern MS Sans Serif

Palatino Linotype

Palatino Linotype Bold

Palatino Linotype Bold Italic

Palatino Linotype Italic

Roman

Script

Symbol Symbol

Tahoma

Tahoma Bold

Times New Roman

Times New Roman Bold

Times New Roman Bold Italic

Times New Roman Italic

Trebuchet MS

Trebuchet MS Bold

Trebuchet MS Bold Italic

Trebuchet MS Italic

Tunga

Verdana

Verdana Bold

Verdana Bold Italic

Verdana Italic

is the largest type size
using that method (shown below). Because the method
produces a narrower and cleaner look, I use it exclusively for all my
webpages.

Times New Roman

here is
yet one other method for controlling type fonts, size and color — the use
of style sheets. This is an advanced method for formatting webpages which
will not be treated in depth here. I will simply point out that style
sheets permit designating type size according to the standard printing
point system, where 72 pts equals one inch. We can create sizes up to two
inches in height, or 144 pts.

Style Sheets are not supported by all browsers. Netscape 4.7 will not
display the ultra-large type sizes shown below, at least not using the
style sheet method I chose. Use of style sheets, except for very simple
formatting purposes, should come after you have mastered the basics of
HTML.

Here are a few examples of ultra-large type sizes, created by using
style sheets. If you make charts for eye exams, this might be for you.
(Netscape 4.7 and MSIE 3.0 do not support this feature).

Style Sheet Coding Example: P.1 {text-align:left;
font: normal 48pt; font-family: Times New Roman;}

A E B I S O N U Z 48 pt.

Z U N O S I 60 pt.

A E B I S O 72 pt.

Selecting Type Fonts

ow,
let’s look at some of the more commonly used type faces. I have a
Windows98 computer purchased in July 1999. The TrueType Fonts that came
with my word processor are the ones most people will have on their
computers. Remember, if you specify a font that someone doesn’t have,
their browser will use a default font instead. The default font is usually
Times New Roman.

Fonts are selected by coding name”> and are turned off by . Please notice that when the font
name contains a space or spaces (i.e. a two or three word name) the name
must appear within quotation marks. Arial does not require
quotation mark, but “Arial Black” and “Times New Roman” do.

You might make a practice of developing webpages in Times New Roman
(the default font) to make sure that everything fits well and that
headlines don’t wrap words onto a second line. Then, when you are
satisfied with the overall layout and appearance, change type fonts as you
wish. But do check the page to see if retains a pleasant appearance. It’s
a good idea to check all your pages in both the Netscape and Microsoft
Internet Explorer browsers.

Here’s a list of 21 type faces stored on my computer. Fonts that appear
identical to Times New Roman in the column at right are missing from the
TTF folder on your computer.

Selecting Font Colors

ont
color may be selected separately or in conjunction with size
and/or face. It is best to make color selections from among the
standard 216 colors. Older web browsers and some computer systems do not
recognize many of the other available colors. Using other than standard
colors may result in an unreadable screen for some people.

In the statement at the beginning of each html file you
select the default color for all text on the webpage. This color should be
black or whatever text color will be most commonly used on the page. There
are 16 standard colors that you may specify in word form using the coding
for instance. The named text colors are: