Readers Respond: What is Your Favorite Font Stack?

Font stacks are the list of fonts that Web designers use to help define the typography of their Web pages. Because not all fonts are on every computer, you have to list a group of fonts in order of preference. Find out what font stacks other About.com readers prefer to use and why.

Do you have a font stack that you use all the time for body text? What about for headlines? Why did you choose the font stack you did? Share your thoughts on font stacks with other About.com readers.

Lucida

I really like 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif.

—Guest Alexander Chang

Verdana

I most often use Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif for regular text. Headlines vary based on the content ... I use MS Trebuchet, Georgia or Lucida fonts; sometimes to drive designers crazy, I'll even throw in Comic Sans (my designer friends hate that font for its overuse).

—Guest Peggy Shields

Favorite Fonts Stack

font-family: verdana, georgia, helvetica, comic sans MS, arial, sans-serif

—Guest Deke

Verdana,Arial,sans serif

That's for most copy -- and definitely for heads (with Verdana bolded). I am also using Georgia now because it is pretty universally distributed and is a purpose designed serif type for the web and I believe monitors now have sufficiently high resolution to make serif type a better reading environment (as it is on paper). The research is there for serif type on paper, but not yet for the screen. By the way, size is important. I specify 12-14 points or "Large". Of course, what the viewer is prepared to set in their browser is up to them. AND I look for good contrast -- black on white or light yellow. No 10 pt Arial brown on brown for me. Cheers, Geoff Geoffrey Heard Publisher, Editor, Business Writer The Worsley Press FREE Bonus book offer. Get "How to make great ads for (sm)all business" FREE when you buy "Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes?" or "How to Start and Produce a Magazine or Newsletter". Amazon or www.worsleypress.com

—GeoffH123

Web Designer / Developer

My favorite font stack is: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, very simple

—designerweb

arial, verdana, helvetica

Body text is always a sans serif for readability. If the site is more traditional in nature, I may use Georgia, Times New Roman for heads and sub-heads. I don't use comic sans except for sites directed at children (not their parents) or for comic book related sites as would be appropriate.

—faithmartin