5 ms·

The best three fonts are: "sans-serif" (for general use), "monospace" (for code), and "serif" (for when you need a secondary font for contrast). The choice of

by mrob 6y ago

The best three fonts are: "sans-serif" (for general use), "monospace" (for code), and "serif" (for when you need a secondary font for contrast). The choice of implementation for these fonts should be left to the reader (who will probably use the defaults for their browser/ebook reader). This way everybody gets the fonts they're used to, which are the easiest fonts to read. I don't even know which exact font I'm looking at now, but I know that I don't allow web designers to change it.

frank2 6y ago
I would be interested in reading more about how you prevent web designers from changing the page's font. I used about:config on Firefox to stop fonts from downloading, but that made it hard for me to use github.com and one or 2 other sites because those sites use a font to render icons that are essential parts of the UI.
- mrob 6y ago
  I remember some trouble with Github many years ago, but it uses inline SVGs for icons now.
- mixmastamyk 6y ago
  Been an option in the preferences since the days of Netscape, perhaps Mosaic.
- ncmncm 6y ago
  That works on desktop, but not on Android. Any clue how to get Firefox on Android to obey about:config fot settings would be very welcome.
- Tomte 6y ago
  In Firefox: Options – Language and Appearance – Fonts and Colors – Advanced… – Disable “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selections above” It's what I've been using for months now (and I also block web fonts using Firefox Focus' extension in iOS/iPadOS Safari). And that's even though I'm a typography geek, and have bought fonts from Matthew Butterick (the author of the submitted article). Looks weird for a day or two, after that you never miss web fonts. Make sure to select a nice default font (for example, Verdana is nice, but I'm German, and Verdana does not have a closing quotation mark for German – it's another one than is in use in English). My setting is Constantia as default font and serif, Segoe UI as sans-serif, and Consolas as monospace.
- discreditable 6y ago
  In ublock you can block remote fonts globally, then toggle them on for sites that need it.
pavlov 6y ago
IMO the default for body text should be serif, with sans used for headlines and display text. There’s a reason books and magazines are set in serif fonts: they are easier to read for long text paragraphs. GUIs defaulted to sans serif fonts because displays didn’t have enough resolution to properly render serifs, but that’s mostly not the case anymore.
- mrob 6y ago
  I don't think there's anything inherently more legible about either serif or sans-serif fonts. Whichever one you read the most will be most legible to you, which means the default shouldn't be changed even when it's no longer technically necessary.
  - technothrasher 6y ago
    Common wisdom is that serif fonts are easier to read, but most research I've read on the topic show either very small or no readability increase with serif over san-serif fonts. As an example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612630/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612630/
    - mark-r 6y ago
      The studies that show an advantage for serif fonts are old, and were done with printed samples. I doubt their conclusions apply to the screen.
      - pavlov 6y ago
        I don't think it's obvious either way. Reading on paper vs. high-DPI screens isn't that different. Text-oriented software like Kindle and Medium default to serif fonts, but I don't know if they have any research to back that up. I suppose Amazon's usability people might have even bothered to look into that. Of course a large part of this is simply that you read fastest what you read the most.
    - deleted 6y ago
somewhereoutth 6y ago
Ah but fonts are so important to the 'look and feel' of any publication that has text (and possibly even to those that don't!). They are also important to the built environment - in Lisbon, Portugal where I now live, all the signage I see out and about is sans-serif, possibly the same font, and quite likely by the same handful of design agencies. I am genuinely feeling oppressed by sans-serif!! I long for serif, or indeed anything to indicate individuality and self expression (the graffiti is sometimes really good though).
- acqq 6y ago
  > I am genuinely feeling oppressed by sans-serif!! I fully understand you, so just a few examples of the opposite of what you describe: https://www.alamy.com/old-and-new-street-signs-with-blackletter-gothic-german-czech-and-image4652019.html https://www.alamy.com/old-and-new-street-signs-with-blacklet... https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-paris-july-14-art-nouveau-metropolitan-sign-near-trocadero-129232937.html https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-paris-july-14-art-nouveau-...

by mrob 6y ago

frank2 6y ago

I would be interested in reading more about how you prevent web designers from changing the page's font. I used about:config on Firefox to stop fonts from downloading, but that made it hard for me to use github.com and one or 2 other sites because those sites use a font to render icons that are essential parts of the UI.

mrob 6y ago
I remember some trouble with Github many years ago, but it uses inline SVGs for icons now.
mixmastamyk 6y ago
Been an option in the preferences since the days of Netscape, perhaps Mosaic.
ncmncm 6y ago
That works on desktop, but not on Android. Any clue how to get Firefox on Android to obey about:config fot settings would be very welcome.
Tomte 6y ago
In Firefox: Options – Language and Appearance – Fonts and Colors – Advanced… – Disable “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selections above” It's what I've been using for months now (and I also block web fonts using Firefox Focus' extension in iOS/iPadOS Safari). And that's even though I'm a typography geek, and have bought fonts from Matthew Butterick (the author of the submitted article). Looks weird for a day or two, after that you never miss web fonts. Make sure to select a nice default font (for example, Verdana is nice, but I'm German, and Verdana does not have a closing quotation mark for German – it's another one than is in use in English). My setting is Constantia as default font and serif, Segoe UI as sans-serif, and Consolas as monospace.
discreditable 6y ago
In ublock you can block remote fonts globally, then toggle them on for sites that need it.

pavlov 6y ago

IMO the default for body text should be serif, with sans used for headlines and display text. There’s a reason books and magazines are set in serif fonts: they are easier to read for long text paragraphs. GUIs defaulted to sans serif fonts because displays didn’t have enough resolution to properly render serifs, but that’s mostly not the case anymore.

mrob 6y ago
I don't think there's anything inherently more legible about either serif or sans-serif fonts. Whichever one you read the most will be most legible to you, which means the default shouldn't be changed even when it's no longer technically necessary.
- technothrasher 6y ago
  Common wisdom is that serif fonts are easier to read, but most research I've read on the topic show either very small or no readability increase with serif over san-serif fonts. As an example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612630/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612630/
  - mark-r 6y ago
    The studies that show an advantage for serif fonts are old, and were done with printed samples. I doubt their conclusions apply to the screen.
    - pavlov 6y ago
      I don't think it's obvious either way. Reading on paper vs. high-DPI screens isn't that different. Text-oriented software like Kindle and Medium default to serif fonts, but I don't know if they have any research to back that up. I suppose Amazon's usability people might have even bothered to look into that. Of course a large part of this is simply that you read fastest what you read the most.
  - deleted 6y ago

somewhereoutth 6y ago

Ah but fonts are so important to the 'look and feel' of any publication that has text (and possibly even to those that don't!). They are also important to the built environment - in Lisbon, Portugal where I now live, all the signage I see out and about is sans-serif, possibly the same font, and quite likely by the same handful of design agencies. I am genuinely feeling oppressed by sans-serif!! I long for serif, or indeed anything to indicate individuality and self expression (the graffiti is sometimes really good though).

acqq 6y ago
> I am genuinely feeling oppressed by sans-serif!! I fully understand you, so just a few examples of the opposite of what you describe: https://www.alamy.com/old-and-new-street-signs-with-blackletter-gothic-german-czech-and-image4652019.html https://www.alamy.com/old-and-new-street-signs-with-blacklet... https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-paris-july-14-art-nouveau-metropolitan-sign-near-trocadero-129232937.html https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-paris-july-14-art-nouveau-...