Safe fonts all browser and os [duplicate]

Question

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Is there any standard that has a list of web-safe fonts

Is there a list of safe fonts for all browser and os?I use generally tahoma and there isn't any problem for windows but I don't know is there a problem about linux or mac

Answer 1

Short answer: no

There is no guarantee that any given browser / OS will support a specific font.

You can specify families of fonts from which the browser will select the first available font e.g.,

font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Sans-Serif;

This is probably the closest you will get to what you want as it should at least select something of the desired style, if not the exact desired font.

You might take a look at Microsoft's Core fonts for the web project. These fonts are available for Windows, OS X, and Linux-based OSes (among others), but again there is no guarantee that these will be available on any given host.

Answer 2

There's this page, I had it in my Firefox Scrapbook. It covers some of the most useful, widespread fonts and their closest equivalents. Yes it focuses on Windows and Mac. There's a linux/ubuntu/gnome screenshot of the font rendering down there: bottom of the page.

Be wary: this topic is controversial. From a pure design standpoint, the point is moot: there are no equivalent fonts. Never. Using core system fonts your mileage (and your ex width) will vary so wildly that most would simply advise you not to even start.

If you are serious about typesetting you should anyway be using fontsquirrel, google web fonts, or any other @font-face trick. With those, backward compatility will (sort of) be an issue, but not one that's typically considered relevant on linux. (those guys update like crazy)

There are some corner cases though, where I believe this approach is sensible. E.G. You could be searching for a very readable font, and prefer not having the user downloading it. Or you could be in love with some widespread commercial typeface, but can't/won't license it for a reason or the other. (e.g. I personally love the readability Palatino Linotype gives me on Windows)

A last word of warning: if you're targeting mobile devices this approach will drive you insane. Don't even start, or you'll expose your frail soul to the blows of the unmotivated horrors that inhabit Mobile Safari updates. Sanity can't last long under that kind of crossfire.