Web Safe Font Stacks

Get reliable font stacks that display consistently across devices without loading a web font.

Fonts that are already there

Web-safe fonts are the typefaces installed on virtually every device, so they display instantly with nothing to download — no web-font request, no flash of invisible text, no performance cost. This provides tried-and-tested font stacks built around them, giving you dependable typography that looks the same for every visitor without the weight of a custom font.

Choose the style you are after and copy the ready-made font stack for your CSS.

Why a stack, not a single font

A font stack lists several fonts in order of preference, and that fallback chain is the whole point: if the first choice is not available, the browser tries the next, ending with a generic family like serif or sans-serif so there is always something sensible. Grouping fonts that look alike means the fallback is barely noticeable. For body text especially, a solid web-safe stack often beats a loaded web font on speed with no real loss in appearance.

Frequently asked questions

What is a web-safe font?

A typeface installed on nearly all devices, so it displays instantly with no web font to download.

Why is it written as a stack of several fonts?

So the browser can fall back to a similar font, and finally a generic family, if the first choice is unavailable.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The stacks are provided in your browser.

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