phrase within normal text, you generally see the <i>tag used to specify italics
within the HTML code. The oblique style is rarely specified in a CSS style — it
merely tilts the letters of a normal font to the right so that they lean a little.
Oblique is similar to italic, but italic is actually a separate typeface design,
with slight changes to the normal font in addition to the tilt to the right. When
you specify italic for most serif fonts such as Times Roman, you get the real
italic effect. However, many sans serif fonts respond to the request for italics
by merely generating a slight offset and tilting the normal letters to the right.
In effect, sans serif italics are often actually oblique, although they’re specified
as italic. In practice, you can just ignore the oblique style.
Choosing the Right Typeface Size ...............................................................
Two things to remember when deciding typeface sizes for a Web page. First,
limit yourself to two or three sizes per page; too many different sizes confuse
readers and make your pages look cluttered and disorganized. (You can get
this same disorganized effect by choosing too many different typefaces.)
Second, the size should be appropriate to the space allotted to it on the page.
Using a small typeface within a large empty area can be disorienting. Equally
unattractive is large type squeezed into a small amount of space.
One more thing to consider about size: Don’t worry too much about the
impossible goal of browser-independence. Just design your Web page with
Internet Explorer set to fullscreen on your 17'' or 19'' monitor, using 800x600
or 1024x768 resolution, and the result will likely please 96 percent of the
people who visit your Web site. They’ll be using pretty much the same size
monitor and the same browser. So don’t sweat it. Trying for the lowest
common denominator among open-source software, mini-screen portable
devices, and uncommon operating systems has a predictable result: Your
Web page looks like the lowest common compromise. Trying to please every-
body, you’ll please no one. Just go with the overwhelming majority. People
surfing the Web with Linux and PDAs are used to seeing strange typeface
effects (among lots of other compromises). Your site’s awkward appearance
on their screen will be no surprise to them; they see stuff like that all the
time.
If you’re forced to design for different output devices, or even different media
types altogether (such as both screen and paper), consider creating separate
style sheets, one for each target device or medium. This approach allows you
to optimize your design for each target.
Specifying relative sizes ......................................................................
The differences in most people’s monitor sizes and resolutions aren’t
enormous, but using relativesize (and often position) specifications when
Chapter 5: All About Text 97
