Posted by Stewart Gordon on 01/19/06 18:02

Jose wrote:
>> I am trying to get on every computer
>> with MS Sans Serif because it is slightly
>> different from Arial
>
> What does "get on every computer with" mean? If you mean you want to
> have your web site be displayed in the font called "MS Sans Serif", you
> mostly can't, even though you mostly can. First, I don't think MS Sans
> Serif is a font, but a request to use one of many sans serif fonts (the
> browser will use its default sans serif font, which is probably arial,

Nonsense.

MS stands for Microsoft.

MS Sans Serif is a bitmap font that came with Windows 3.1 and some
subsequent Windows versions. It replaced Helv, which was in previous
versions of Windows. There was also MS Serif, which replaced Tms Rmn.

The CSS declaration

font-family: sans-serif;

persuades the browser to use a sans-serif font without specifying which
one. The HTML 'equivalent'

<font face="sans-serif">

also seems to work in SeaMonkey, though it doesn't appear to be part of
the standard.

> but could be anything). I don't have a font called "MS Sans Serif" on
> my (windows 98) computer.

I hadn't realised they'd stopped providing it by that time. I'll have
to check when I get home.

> In the case where it =is= a specific font, you can request that the
> browser use it, but the font must be available on the computer for that
> to work, otherwise the browser will use the "next best thing". Remember,
> users may not want =your= font, they may well want =their= font (and
> size). That should be honored.
>
> That said - Arial is a dumass font for the net since it confuses several
> letters and numbers, leading to easy impersonation.

If you mean that the difference between I and l isn't obvious, then yes.
But that's true of many sans-serif fonts. And even some serif fonts
make l and 1 look almost identica1.

OTOH, there's a school of thought that thinks that sans-serif fonts are
actually best for online documents. Allegedly easier on the eyes, or
something like that.

Stewart.

--
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS/M d- s:- C++@ a->--- UB@ P+ L E@ W++@ N+++ o K-@ w++@ O? M V? PS-
PE- Y? PGP- t- 5? X? R b DI? D G e++>++++ h-- r-- !y
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

My e-mail is valid but not my primary mailbox. Please keep replies on
the 'group where everyone may benefit.

[Back to original message]