HTML fonts are the solitary component that has the potential to significantly alter the appearance of a website as a whole. It is crucial for success to select a suitable font, and this is not only a matter of personal opinion; selecting a typeface that is difficult to read will turn away potential clients.
As a direct consequence of this, the font needs to be legible, of a suitable size, and of a colour that contrasts effectively with the background. A surprising number of websites still get it wrong, and the odds are strong that you have come across at least a handful of online pages that are difficult to comprehend. Even though this may seem like common sense, a surprising number of websites still get it wrong, we are going to talk about HTML fonts in WordPress today, and we will cover all you need to know about them.
What Do You Mean by “HTML Fonts”?
An HTML font is a term used to describe the style of text that is shown on webpages that were created using the CSS coding language. HTML fonts can also be referred to by the name “web fonts.” Although there are literally hundreds of fonts that may be used to creation a website, the platform that you pick to use will probably just offer a tiny selection of those fonts for you to choose from the great majority of the time.
However, the usage of these resources comes at a tremendous financial expense. There is a chance that the servers you communicate with do not save them in any way. If you are using an odd font on your page, it may take longer for the page to load. This is because the website and internet browsers need to discover the font you are using and then install it before the page can load. If you are using an unusual font on your page, it may take longer for the page to load. As a consequence of this, the vast majority of websites really employ a typeface that is reasonably comparable to the fonts used by other websites.
HTML fonts come with the added benefit of being able to resize themselves to fit displays of varied resolutions. To put it another way, the capacity to react or react well. It is vital to note that the size of each font, as well as the colour that it is displayed in, can be varied to suit your needs. In addition to this, you have the ability to change the colour that it is rendered in. You also have the power to apply additional fundamental formatting options to your work, such as bolding and italicizing certain text. The overwhelming majority of fonts support access to these individualized adjustments.
How exactly do I go about changing the typefaces that are being utilized by WordPress?
The theme that you have chosen to employ will have an effect on the typefaces that you have access to, and this effect will vary based on the theme. Each theme will typically provide you with a selection of multiple different standard fonts from which you can make your selection. Having said that, new functionality may be added to WordPress sites through the use of plugins, just like the vast majority of other features of the platform. Let’s have a look at the many font customization options that are made available by WordPress.
The First Method: Theme Customizer
Before the release of WordPress 5.9, almost all of the themes that could be accessed through WordPress came with a theme customizer that gave users the ability to change the typeface that was set as the default. As a result of this functionality, you will have the ability to modify the typeface used in any part of your website. The primary problem is that different themes do not always give users access to the same kind of settings and personalization options. Proceed to step 2 if you do not see an opportunity to select the typeface in step 1 otherwise, continue on to step 1. To customize your WordPress installation, access the administrative panel and navigate to the Appearance menu. From there, choose the Customize option.
The available settings are controlled by the theme, but in general, you will have the opportunity to alter things like the spacing, margins, font size, and plenty of other things. The available settings are determined by the theme. By using the font selector, you can choose a default font from the options that are offered by your theme. These options may vary depending on the theme you are using. Some of them offer a greater variety of benefits than others. You will be able to form an impression of the appearance of the typeface by examining the areas where it differs. There are times when they are available as global alternatives, and there are also occasions when they are available as options for specific parts of the whole.
The Second Method: Code
You will need to manually code the fonts into the stylesheet if you are using a theme that does not include typography as an available option. There are some themes that do not provide this option. The good news is that despite how difficult it may initially appear, this activity is actually fairly simple. The bad news is that this task may initially appear to be rather complex.
Find the CSS stylesheet that corresponds to your theme by navigating to the backend of your website and looking for it there. You only need to include the content of the code, and then the font will be consistent across the entire website.
You will need to modify the “name of font” to reflect the actual name of the typeface that you want to use (for example, Arial). Simply save the changes, and you should be able to use that font from this point forward. You will need to download the font in order to use it if it is not a standard font that is used in HTML documents. If not, you will not be able to use it.
When faced with a scenario such as this one, you should check to see if the header section of your website allows for the insertion of a line of code. On Google’s typefaces page, for example, you can find an excellent demonstration of this concept.
Method Three: Editing the Site Through WordPress 5.9’s Site Editor
A brand-new function known as the Site Editor has been incorporated in WordPress ever since the most recent update, which brought the software to version 5.9. The great majority of themes do not make it available, and the ones that do have it are still working through the testing phase. On the other side, as time goes on, this will gradually but inevitably replace the theme customizer as the primary editing tool.
Within the following few months, themes would only be offered with this Editor, and existing designs would update to include it either as a substitute for the theme configurator that was supplied by method one or in addition to it. This would take place within the next few months. The site editor is here to stay, and it affords you the opportunity to make modifications to any and all of the pages on your website simultaneously. In addition, this displays the various typeface options that are available. Simply select the Editor from the Appearance menu by going to that menu and clicking on it.
The first thing that you should see when you open up, the program is the Typography option, which can be found on the right side of the screen. Make sure that you choose it and click on it. After that, you will be presented with the choice to either use Text or Links as your output. Links, on the other hand, are the hypertext hyperlinks that you individually construct, whereas the text relates to everything else. Select “Text” from the available options on the menu. Utilizing the Font Family drop-down box will allow you to select the typeface that you want to use in your document. In the same way, as in the past, the possibilities that are open to you depend on the subject matter that is being discussed.
The end, as the proverb goes. Because it is highly likely that future updates will contain improvements to this designer, you can anticipate an increase in the number of customizations that will be accessible in the not-too-distant future.
What Should Be Done About Plugins and Add-ons?
However, WordPress comes prepackaged with a wide choice of plugins that can be used to add custom fonts. Custom fonts are not related to the fonts that are included by default with HTML. You don’t have to pay anything to use these one-of-a-kind typefaces that are at your disposal. Using these typefaces, in general, poses a substantial task, which, for the most part, may sound tempting; nonetheless, using them can be quite difficult. They make it more difficult for users to navigate your website. I made a passing reference to this earlier, but in order for a page to load correctly, the visitor’s web browser needs to download the font from the server where it is being kept. This is an additional step in the process, and the total time it takes will increase proportionally with the number of custom fonts you use. This is an important factor that has contributed to the fonts used in HTML being widely adopted. They have become the norm in the business and are available at any retail establishment. In addition to this, making use of a single typeface is the decision that the vast majority of websites have made. When more content is added, the amount of time it takes to load the page grows proportionally. The good news is that Google has been working on expanding the number of font selections that are accessible to you when you make use of Google Fonts. You can get more information about this expansion here.
Here Are Some Suggestions That Will Assist You in Making Your HTML Font Readable:
One of the most major obstacles that beginners have is figuring out how to make their writing readable. In the vast majority of cases, they are wholly unaware of the reality that there is a problem. People will not return for extra reading information if they find the stuff on your website to be difficult to read. In addition to this, they have a lower risk of passing it on to other people.
Let’s have a look at some of the most significant considerations that need to be made when selecting a typeface for a webpage, shall we?
- It’s best to steer clear of writing in a cursive style.
- You have access to a large variety of fonts to choose from, and a good number of those fonts are modelled after the cursive writing style. Although it is not the most accessible choice, it has the potential to be useful for certain websites, such as those that focus heavily on historical information.
- Because this design choice has a substantial flaw, the first problem that needs to be fixed is the fact that a sizeable portion of the population is unable to read cursive. This is the primary concern that needs to be addressed. The population of that group is only likely to continue to expand as a result of the fact that many schools in the United States have actually done away with cursive lessons. In addition, it is quite improbable that persons from the United States will be the only ones to view your website. Another difficulty that people who are learning English as a second language face is reading handwriting that is done in cursive. You might think it’s trendy, but I can tell you from experience that doing so will make a lot of people less interested in the content.
Determine the Appropriate Shade for the Situation
One of the most common and embarrassing mistakes that beginners make is altering the colour of the font. This is one of the most common mistakes that beginners make. Because of this, the content may be exceedingly challenging to read for regular visitors, and it may be impossible to read for people who have visual impairments.
You must first and foremost keep in mind that there is such a thing as colour blindness. This is really important. A condition similar to colour blindness has been identified in over 12 million persons in the United States alone.
In this particular instance, however, in addition to the text, you also need to be concerned with the colour of the background. This is a very important consideration. For example, black text is an excellent choice for the majority of websites; nevertheless, it must never be used on a background that is black or another dark colour. Instead, white font is recommended because it is easier to read.
When trying to read text on the internet, one of the major factors that contribute to the difficulty of doing so is unquestionably the use of colour in the presentation of the text.
Check to check that the text is not so small that it cannot be read
Now, I know what you’re thinking, and I know that you believe that in order for people to read the lettering, they need only select the Zoom option from the menu bar. Despite the fact that this is absolutely true, I am curious about the percentage of individuals who will actually go through the trouble of adjusting the level of zoom. In all honesty, how many people are actually capable of doing it? Anyone who finds the material to be unreadable will, unfortunately, simply click away from the page. This is a terrible reality. When posting on a blog, it is recommended that you use a text size that is somewhere between 16 and 20 pixels. It is imperative to take into consideration mobile users in addition to desktop users, as mobile users are significantly more sensitive to concerns regarding font size. Again, although it isn’t difficult to zoom in, the vast majority of people either won’t or aren’t even aware that they have the choice to do so.
Conclusion:
When selecting fonts for your website, it is essential to take both the site’s general appearance and its content into consideration. Be cautious about selecting fonts that mesh well with the spirit of the content you’ve written, as well as the site’s overarching style. Last but not least, do not forget to make suitable and tasteful use of fonts. Use only a few well-selected fonts to really make your content stand out from the crowd and prevent your website from being cluttered and overwhelming as a result of using too many fonts.