Font Preview Tool
Input text, select font family and see live preview.
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 0123456789
About Font Preview Tool
This font preview tool lets you visualize how different typefaces render with your own text content. Simply type your sample text, select a font family from the dropdown, and adjust size and weight to see real-time previews. The tool uses fonts installed on your local system.
It is useful for web designers selecting typography, developers testing CSS font stacks, content creators previewing headings, and anyone making typography decisions for digital projects.
Font Category Reference
| Category | Characteristics | Common Uses | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sans-Serif | Clean, no decorative strokes, modern | UI text, body copy, headings | Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, system-ui |
| Serif | Traditional, decorative strokes, formal | Long-form reading, print, formal docs | Georgia, Times New Roman, Palatino |
| Monospace | Fixed-width, uniform character spacing | Code, data, terminal emulation | Courier New, Consolas, Monaco |
| Display | Decorative, high impact, unique personality | Headlines, logos, attention-grabbing | Impact, Brush Script, Comic Sans |
| Script | Cursive, handwritten, calligraphic | Invitations, signatures, accents | Brush Script, Lucida Handwriting |
CSS Font Stack Examples
/* Modern system font stack */
font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
/* Sans-serif fallback stack */
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, sans-serif;
/* Serif for long-form reading */
font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;
/* Monospace for code */
font-family: 'SF Mono', Monaco, 'Cascadia Code', 'Roboto Mono', Consolas, monospace;
/* Custom font with fallbacks */
@font-face {
font-family: 'Inter';
src: url('inter.woff2') format('woff2');
}
body { font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif; }
Font Weight Reference
| Weight | Numeric Value | CSS Name | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin | 100 | thin | Large display text only |
| Extra Light | 200 | extra-light | Large headings |
| Light | 300 | light | Headings, subtle emphasis |
| Normal | 400 | normal | Body text (default) |
| Medium | 500 | medium | Subheadings, emphasized text |
| Semi-Bold | 600 | semi-bold | Subheadings, buttons |
| Bold | 700 | bold | Headings, strong emphasis |
| Extra Bold | 800 | extra-bold | Display headings |
| Black | 900 | black | Maximum impact headings |
Web Font Performance Best Practices
1. Use WOFF2 format (best compression, ~30% smaller than WOFF)
2. Subset fonts to include only needed characters
3. Limit font weights (2-3 weights typically sufficient)
4. Use font-display: swap for better perceived loading
5. Preload critical fonts: <link rel="preload" href="font.woff2" as="font">
6. Consider variable fonts (single file, multiple weights)
7. Use system fonts as fallbacks in font stack
Example @font-face with best practices:
@font-face {
font-family: 'Inter';
src: url('inter.woff2') format('woff2');
font-weight: 400 700; /* Variable font range */
font-display: swap;
unicode-range: U+0000-00FF, U+0100-024F; /* Latin subset */
}
Typography Readability Guidelines
| Property | Recommendation | WCAG Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Body text size | 16px minimum (14px absolute min) | 1.4.4 Resize Text |
| Line height (body) | 1.4 to 1.6 | 1.4.12 Text Spacing |
| Line length | 45-75 characters per line | Best practice |
| Color contrast | 4.5:1 minimum (AA), 7:1 (AAA) | 1.4.3 Contrast |
| Paragraph spacing | 0.75em to 1.5em between paragraphs | 1.4.12 Text Spacing |
| Letter spacing | Don't reduce below default; can increase | 1.4.12 Text Spacing |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are web-safe fonts?
- Web-safe fonts are typefaces pre-installed on most operating systems and devices, ensuring consistent display across platforms. Classic web-safe fonts include Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, Verdana, Tahoma, and Courier New. Modern web-safe options include system-ui (uses OS default), Trebuchet MS, and Impact.
- What is the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts?
- Serif fonts have small decorative strokes (serifs) at the ends of letterforms, conveying tradition and formality (e.g., Times New Roman, Georgia). Sans-serif fonts lack these strokes, appearing cleaner and more modern (e.g., Arial, Helvetica, Verdana). Serif is often used for print body text; sans-serif dominates digital interfaces.
- How do I use custom fonts in CSS?
- Use the @font-face rule to define custom fonts: @font-face { font-family: 'MyFont'; src: url('font.woff2') format('woff2'); } Then apply: body { font-family: 'MyFont', sans-serif; }. Always include fallback fonts. Modern formats are WOFF2 (best compression) and WOFF (widely supported).
- What font formats are supported in web browsers?
- WOFF2 offers the best compression and is supported in all modern browsers. WOFF has universal support including older browsers. TTF/OTF work but have larger file sizes. EOT is legacy IE-only. SVG fonts are deprecated. Best practice: serve WOFF2 with WOFF fallback for maximum compatibility.
- What is system-ui font family?
- system-ui is a generic font family that automatically uses the default system font of the user's operating system: San Francisco on macOS/iOS, Segoe UI on Windows, Roboto on Android, Cantarell on GNOME. Using font-family: system-ui, sans-serif gives native OS appearance and excellent readability.
- How do I choose readable fonts for web design?
- For body text, use 16px minimum (14px absolute minimum), 1.4-1.6 line height, and high contrast (4.5:1 ratio for AA compliance). Sans-serif fonts generally read better on screens. Test fonts at actual sizes with real content. Consider x-height, letter spacing, and how fonts render at different weights.