Content
Typography & Fonts
Developers are encouraged to specify font styling by using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), as opposed to embedded <font> tags in HTML code.
Font sizing
Web developers are encouraged to use relative units of measurement for font sizes, such as percentage, em or ex. Some popular Web browsers do not allow users to adjust the size of type on a Web page if the fonts are specified in fixed units, such as pixels. Developing with relative font sizes gives your site visitors some control on the legibility of text on your site, increasing both usability and accessibility.
To specify the size of a font with a style rule, use the following syntax:
body {font-size: 90%;}
This rule would set the font size of the entire body to 90 percent of the currently set font size for the browser. If a user increases their font size on their browser, the size of your type in your page would increase accordingly.
Keep in mind that font sizing can be cumulative. Consider the following rules.
body {font-size: 90%;} p {font-size; 85%}
With these styles applied, the body would be 90 percent of normal size and the paragraphs would actually be 85 percent of that size, not 85 percent of normal, because paragraphs are contained within the body.
Font faces
Fonts used in MSU.edu content are universal fonts and should be seen correctly on most browsers. Three fonts can be seen specified for various elements, including Georgia, Arial and Verdana. University developers are encouraged to use these fonts in their designs, particularly Verdana, which is considered the most effective font for body text.
Font colors
The three text colors used on MSU.edu are black (#000000), MSU Green (#006633) for links and white (#ffffff) in the footer. Maintaining consistent font colors throughout a site is considered a best practice in Web development.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 encourage developers to use foreground and background colors that contrast well. Following this recommendation will help ensure text is readable.