Typography fundamentals for the web

Build readable, accessible interfaces through practical typeface selection, hierarchy design, and real-world implementation patterns you can use immediately.

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What you'll learn

Three focused tracks covering type systems, technical implementation, and performance optimization. Each module builds on specific skills with hands-on examples.

Fundamentals Implementation Performance

Type anatomy and selection

Learn how x-height, stroke contrast, and aperture affect readability at different screen sizes. We compare 12 common web fonts side-by-side with actual metrics.

6 hours 18 examples

Visual hierarchy systems

Build modular scale systems using mathematical ratios. You'll see how Stripe, Medium, and Gov.uk structure their type scales and spacing patterns.

5 hours 14 case studies

Line length and spacing

Optimal characters per line varies by context. We test 45-75 character ranges across mobile, tablet, and desktop with eye-tracking data from 200 readers.

4 hours 22 experiments

CSS font stacks and fallbacks

Design bulletproof font stacks with system fonts as fallbacks. Includes size-adjust, ascent-override values to prevent layout shift when custom fonts load.

5 hours 16 configurations

Variable fonts implementation

Use weight, width, and optical size axes to fine-tune typography across breakpoints. Real examples show file size savings of 40-60% versus loading multiple font files.

6 hours 11 demos

Responsive typography

Calculate fluid type scales using clamp() and viewport units. We test formulas across 340px to 1920px viewports to find smooth scaling without breakpoint jumps.

7 hours 19 formulas

Font loading strategies

Compare FOIT, FOUT, and FOFT approaches with real performance metrics. You'll implement font-display values and preload hints that reduced our LCP by 1.2 seconds.

5 hours 13 benchmarks

Subsetting and optimization

Strip unused glyphs using glyphhanger or FontForge. Case study shows reducing Roboto from 168kb to 32kb by removing Cyrillic and Greek character sets for English-only sites.

4 hours 9 techniques

Accessibility and readability

Meet WCAG AAA contrast requirements while maintaining brand aesthetics. Test color combinations, analyze APCA contrast values, and validate with screen readers on actual devices.

6 hours 24 tests