Web Usability 101: Always design with Web-Safe Fonts
One of the most common factors to consider in web design is the use of fonts - and the reason behind that is because if you design your page is some funny font you have on your computer, chances are that your readers do not have that font installed in their computer, and they will be seeing the system default font!
The Internet Digest has a very comprehensive write up about font that you should use to keep your site web-safe. According to the article there are three aspects which you should consider when choosing a font.
You want to choose font types that:
1. fit the character of your site,
2. are easy to read on a computer screen, and
3. are widely available across many browsers and operating systems.
After reviewing a couple of the more common font, here was the conclusion:
Therefore, from a usability perspective, the clear winner is Verdana. If you are inclined to use a serif font, Georgia is the best option. Arial remains a good option for specific parts of text, like headlines and titles, where a different font must be used and you can use larger sizes.
Verdana, Georgia and Arial. Stick to these three if they fit into the character of your site - if not go for Trebuchet or Comic Sans Serif if you want a more casual feel.
Tags: internet_digest, web-usability
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Tan Kian Ann is blog marketer based in Singapore. He now works with individuals and small businesses reach out to the world using blogs. 
May 14th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Visit Peter
Nice tip, but what about Tahoma?
May 15th, 2007 at 4:28 am
Visit Achtentachtig
“…if not go for Trebuchet or Comic Sans Serif if you want a more casual feel..”
Are you seriously suggesting to use Comic Sans? http://bancomicsans.com/
May 15th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Visit Kian Ann
Hey Peter,
Tahoma is a great font to use also, and I personally feel it is similar to Verdana… but Verdana is still look easier to read because the characters are wider. For my own experience with Tahoma, a small amount of text is okay, like for headers, but when you have a full paragraph, it looks a bit cluttered.
Achtentachtig!
Wow! They actually have a site the ban comic sans? Its understandable that comic sans isn’t the best font to use for serious applications like medical information.. but for a font for things like e-greeting cards, it sure spices up the text with a casual feel. I think every font has a purpose, and it is really up to the discretion of the webmaster to use them in appropriate context.