Font use for a web-safe world.

With only a handful of web-safe fonts out there, I find myself having to get a little creative with what’s available. As you may know, a font that is considered ‘web-safe‘ comes pre-installed on a wide range of computer systems and is used to increase the chance that the content gets displayed in its chosen font. If your recipient does not have the specified font, their browser or email program will select an alternative. The most current list of web-safe fonts include: Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana, Georgia, Comic Sans, Trebuchet and Courier New.

In my quest to take full advantage of these web-safe warriors, I’ve learned a few tips & tricks.

1. Pick a font and stick with it.
While a menagerie of Times New Roman, Comic Sans, and Verdana sounds eye-catching, too many font faces can really take the look of your email ‘over the top.’ Instead, maintain consistency and style by using variations of the same font. There are many ways to explore this method through use of color, weight, and size. It should still allow for plenty of variety within the email and it’ll also make your font choices easier.

2. Create headers with images.
Ever find yourself just wishing that you could use that awesome, free font you just downloaded in your next email? You can always use the font in an outside program and then bring it into your email as an image. I tried out this trick recently to add a bit of jazz, pizazz, whimsy, whatever-you-wills to my header sections. What do you think?

3. Gray’s the new black.
Here’s a new trend in email design: try using medium and dark shades of gray for your body copy color instead of black. It’s a quick and effective way to transform the look of your emails into something a bit more friendly and casual (assuming that’s the look you’re going for).

Hopefully, this ‘moment of fonti-ness’ has inspired you to get out there and get creative with web-safe fonts. Feel free to stop by and let us know what tricks work for you.