Typography for the Page
I am not an expert in typography, other than knowing that no other web design topic drives out likes and dislikes—and passions—as much as the fonts you use and how you use them.
Some people prefer sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Verdana, whereas others can't stand them and prefer serif-based fonts, such as Georgia. I use a mix, which probably drives both groups mad.
Choosing a Font
The characteristics of fonts include such terms as ascenders and descenders, which describe the parts of the font that extend above the x-height of the font and below the font's baseline, respectively. Figure 9-24 shows a graphical depiction of these type terms, placed against an Arial font.
Most of us don't really care about the fundamentals of typography, other than wanting to ensure we're using the best fonts for our needs. Just like with color, what is the best depends on our own personal preferences as much as the mechanics of fonts.
Fonts generally fall into two main groupings, depending on whether the font has or doesn't have a serif at the end of the font strokes. A serif is a little stroke, a flourish if you will. Popular sans-serif fonts are Arial, Verdana, and Helvetica, while the more common serif fonts are Georgia and Times New Roman. Some fonts have a bolder variation, and others are monospaced, meaning that each letter takes up the same space regardless of letter. One variation of a bolder font is Arial Black, and Courier is the most common monospaced font.
Figure 9-24. Depiction ...