This page has information and tests to help determine how various browsers handle the CSS font size control attributes. There are some real serious issues and problems with various browsers, various platforms and limited or buggy CSS support.
Basically, I made this to view in different browsers. You can see how the sizes compare and how they change as you use the dynamic font size controls (View | Fonts in IE3, IE4, NS4).
Keep in mind that it's really preferable to use some kind of relative sizing that lets the user change the font for their browser or use the IE/NS4+ font size change option to change the default font. We generally want to use one main size that is the resizable default and a smaller one for menubars, bottom bars and other small text needs.
I've now found a good combination of HTML and CSS contextual selectors for font-size control that supports NS3, NS4 and MSIE. See my CSS Font Size Control, Recommendations page for details, examples and explanations.
I am starting to move more towards using CSS for sizing, though just on this site so far. I am keeping most text at default, but using font-size:80% for some smaller text as needed. This also requires removing a lot of the HTML font size control or using contextual selectors. I make the assumption that most people accessing my site are knowledgable enough to set their default browser font sizes to what they prefer. (plus you can tell them how just in case...)
I did find a few articles that get into real detail about how the two major browsers calculate font sizes... differently unfortunately. See PC Week: CSS: Relative Sizes of Text, WebMonkey: Text Size Control with CSS and WebMonkey: Sizing Up Text on the Next Browsers.
The CSS styles are defined in this page, not linked. View Source to see it.
| Font Size Attribute | Example Text |
|---|---|
| Relative Named Sizes | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| smaller | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| larger | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Absolute Named Sizes (Large, Medium, Small, X-Small, XX-Small) | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| large | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| medium | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| small | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| x-small | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| xx-small | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Relative Percentage Sizes (% of parent element) | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 100% | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 90% | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 80% | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 70% | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Absolute Sizes in Points (1pt = 1/72 of an inch) | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 13 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 12 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 11 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 10 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 9 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 8 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 7 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 6 pt | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Relative Sizes in EM's | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 1.1 em | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 1 em | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| .9 em | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| .8 em | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| .7 em | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Absolute Sizes in Pixels (px) | |
| default ie no size mods |
Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 18 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 17 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 16 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 15 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 14 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 13 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 12 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| 11 px | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| HTML-only FONT Tag Size Control | |
| Font Size="1" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Font Size="2" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Font Size="3", default | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which all other ministries, groups, and activities emanate. In worship we celebrate the historic, bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His presence in our midst through the preaching of the Word, prayers, praise, and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. |
| Font Size="4" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which ... |
| Font Size="5" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which ... |
| Font Size="6" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which ... |
| Font Size="7" | Worship is the most important thing we do at Central. It is the hub out of which ... |
Here is a test. This paragraph is spec'd as css class pt10.
This text is in html font size="-1" tags.
This text is in html font size="-1" tags surrounded by SPAN class="pt8".