Bad Text Sizes

Size 1 text is very hard to read on some monitors. Even worse, it can show up even smaller than you think on other monitors.

As you can see, I have chosen to use size 1 text on the right hand navigation box - below the Google ads. But I have only chosen to use it for information that is not critical to the purpose or function of my site.

Size 1 text equates on MOST computers to about an 8 point font. This is readable for people with good eyesight, on a monitor with sharp clarity. For people with even minor vision problems, or monitors with less than sharp presentation, it can get difficult to read.

Not only that, but some browsers display text one size smaller than that. So size 1 text can show up as size 6, which, due to the way that a computer screen shows the pixels for the letters, is nothing but hieroglyphics!

This text size has gained popularity as the standard font size on a huge number of sites. People think it makes their site look sharp and professional. To perhaps 50 percent of site visitors though, it simply ends up being unusable. If they have set their browsers to display font sizes larger than that, then your site design will break if it is designed to accommodate the smaller font size without any room to spare.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, large font sizes can be pretty annoying. Who wants to have to scroll down every tenth word, just because the site creator put everything in the largest font size? Think I'm being ridiculous? I've seen business sites that do that!

Larger fonts are appropriate for headlines, labels, attention getters, and special emphasis. They are not appropriate for general use.

The last font size issue is one of extremes. More professional pages typically use a range of font sizes that does not cover the entire spectrum. Three, or maximum four font sizes are sufficient for a page.

It is also best to be consistent with your font sizes through your site. A headline font size that is the same on each page, an emphasis font size that is the same on each page, and then your standard font that you use for the bulk of your text. You may choose to use a smaller font as well, for items of less importance, which you want on the page, but which are not of primary importance. You can combine your headline and emphasis sizes, or just bold your main font size for emphasis.

Font sizes can be more precisely controlled with CSS, but for beginners who are starting out with nothing but a plain HTML editor, the best option might be to avoid the largest and smallest font sizes, or if you have to use the smallest size, use it only as suggested for non-critical items.

Written by Laura Wheeler