Helvetica or Arial for web copy
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- leewilson78
Hi all,
I usually stick Helvetica Neue before helvetica, then Arial, then sans-serif if looking for a sans serif font in my site designs.
Just got a comment back from a client saying the copy was better as Arial, any validity with this, I noticed that at 14px, arial looks a little more crisp.
- ********0
Since when does the client know what looks better?
- leewilson780
Good point, I just automatically choose helvetica first in my css, just wondered what others recommend.
- I think you made the right choice using Helvetica first.********
- I think you made the right choice using Helvetica first.
- jamble0
They might be more familiar with seeing Arial. Leave it as it is, tell them you've changed it and they won't notice the difference anyway.
- d_rek0
Well seeing as HelveticaNeue + Helvetica are mac system fonts, your client may not be seeing them at all.
I will say that helvetica tends to render a bit on the heavy side in-browser on a mac while HelveticaNeue looks mostly fine, with the exception of the absurdly tight kerning.
And TBH.. i'm suprised that your client can even notice a difference... but good for them :)
- Although they come with Mac OS X, those fonts are not Mac system fonts. If you experience "absurdly tight kerning" then you might have a bad font.********
- you might have a corrupted font file somewhere.********
- Interesting. I'll look into that!d_rek
- Although they come with Mac OS X, those fonts are not Mac system fonts. If you experience "absurdly tight kerning" then you might have a bad font.
- isakosmo0
is always use Arial then Helvetica
- jaylarson0
Helvetica for bodycopy?
- Why not?********
- because it is a display face, like its in-bred cousin, arial.jaylarson
- it works perfectly fine as body copymonospaced
- Why not?
- leewilson780
I'm put it as Arial for the body font and HelveticaNeue etc. for h tags.
- ********0
verdana better than arial, you wont see helvetica in every browser
- ximeraLabs0
Arial does render more legible and more crisp than Helvetica... And if your client is on a PC Arial is definitely looking better.
- ukit0
You'd think there would've been a blog post or write up on this somewhere
- trooperbill0
err. am i stupid or shouldnt you pick both as native PC users will see arial, and mac users helvetica?
- you're not stupid...he should leave it as it was when he started (with Helveticas first)********
- you're not stupid...he should leave it as it was when he started (with Helveticas first)
- duckofrubber0
This is not a surprise, since Arial was developed for on-screen use.
- as a fucking rip-off of Helvetica for which they could not purchase the rights********
- yes mono, but then they modified it to make it render better.zarkonite
- mono you're a fucking idiot********
- as a fucking rip-off of Helvetica for which they could not purchase the rights
- ayport0
I always try to stick to system standard fonts with live text.
- must_dash0
not all pc's come with helvetica
- which ones do!?!?zarkonite
- the ones with helvetica sillymust_dash
- designer ownedraf
- helvetica on pc has antialiasing problemsraf
- PCs in general have major antialiasing problems********
- yeah, the problem is called ClearType™jimbojones
- Macs are PCs that come with Helvetica Neuemonospaced
- clearThoughts0
What about pulling an IKEA and making it all Verdana?
- ninjasavant0
Why does anyone care? So they made a knock off to avoid licensing, what stake do you have in Helvetica's licensing fees? The differences are subtle and its what the client asked for. I seriously haven't ever understood the fury over this.
- The stake, my friend, is in the propagation of nice fonts.BRNK
- jimbojones0
Try Microsoft Sans Serif.
- yep good one********
- I just dug out this thread coming up with the same idea!raf
- yep good one
- ********0
- if that guy hates arial, i now like arial. what an annoying cunt.********
- Penn and Teller are way better.monospaced
- if that guy hates arial, i now like arial. what an annoying cunt.