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Times New Roman is a good font to use in text-heavy documents that will probably be printed by readers rather than read from the screen. A serif typeface like Times New Roman is about average in legibility on the computer screen and has a moderate x-height. Times New Roman is a good example of a traditional typeface that has been adapted for use on computer screens. Screen legibility is most influenced by the x-height (the height of a lowercase “x”) and the overall size of the typeface. A traditional typeface such as Times Roman is considered one of the most legible on paper, but at screen resolution its size is too small and its shapes look irregular. Some typefaces are more legible than others on the screen. Bear in mind, too, that users can set their browser preferences to display all pages in their favorite font. If you specify a font that is not on the user’s machine, the browser will display your pages using the user-specified default font.
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In specifying typefaces you should choose from the resident default fonts for most operating systems. A layout that is carefully designed using one typeface may not format correctly in another. This is useful not only for aesthetic reasons but also because of the differing dimensions of typefaces. Modern versions of html and css allow designers to specify typeface. Fonts were set by the browser, so pages were viewed in whatever font the user specified in his or her browser preferences. With the first versions of html, web authors had no control over typefaces (“fonts” in personal computer terminology). Different fonts take up different amounts of space on the page thus, we recommend using word count rather than page count to gauge paper length if possible.Each typeface has a unique tone that should produce a harmonious fit between the verbal and visual flow of your content. Instructors and publishers vary in how they specify length requirements. The footnote font might be smaller than the text font (and have different line spacing), and it is not necessary to change it.
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