Using Text

Constantly overlooked when it comes to style, yet arguably the most important element of any page-that iss text. Specifically, your text is your content, and your content is the key to a successful web site.

Often, all the effort will go into some incredibly beautiful masthead, logo, or background, which makes the top of the web page look great (mostly), but scroll down to the actual content, and you might find a CSS famine. Taking control of your text requires more than just specifying one of the many available web fonts or setting font size. CSS provides the conscientious designer with a multitude of tools that can be applied to boring old text, bridging the gap between print and web design, and allowing for much flexibility.

In this tutorial, we will look at methods for creative use of text, and how traditional methods of typesetting can be utilized via simple CSS rules.

Why is text so important? Primary Font Properties Available Fonts Default Browser Display Apply Some Style Use Line Height Letter Spacing Kerning Other Key Font Properties Getting Clever with Text