Which CSS Property Controls the Text Size in CSS

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Posted Nov 21, 2024

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The font-size property is the primary CSS property that controls the text size. It determines the size of the font, and it can be specified in various units such as pixels, ems, or percentages.

In CSS, font-size is a crucial property that affects the readability of your content. It can be used to make your text larger or smaller, depending on your design needs.

The value of font-size can be a fixed size, like 16px, or a relative size, like 1.5em. This gives you flexibility in customizing the text size to suit your design goals.

For instance, if you set font-size to 1.5em, it will increase the text size by 50% compared to the parent element's font size.

CSS Font Properties

CSS font properties are a crucial part of web design, as they control the appearance of text on a website.

The font-size property is one of the most important CSS font properties, as it determines the size of the font in a block of text.

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You can specify the font size in various ways, including pixels, ems, root ems, viewport units, and keywords.

Pixels are a straightforward way to set font sizes, but they don't allow users to adjust text sizes through browser settings.

The syntax for the CSS font-size property is: sizeValue is the font size you want a block of text to use.

Here are some common ways to specify font sizes:

  • pixels (e.g., 24px)
  • ems (e.g., 1em = 16px by default)
  • root ems (e.g., 1rem = 10px in this example)
  • viewport units (not discussed in this article)
  • keywords (not discussed in this article)

The em unit is relative to the font size of the parent element, which means that if you have not set a font size for a parent element, the browser will use the default value specified for that browser, usually 16px.

In the example where the font size of the box is 20px, specifying the font size of the paragraph of text to be 1em would make the font size of the paragraph 20px.

Setting Text Size

Setting Text Size is a crucial aspect of web design, and there are several ways to achieve it using CSS. You can use pixels, ems, rem, or keywords to set the font size of your text.

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The em unit is a relative unit that inherits the font size of its parent element. If you specify a font size of 1em, it will be the same as the parent element's font size. For example, if the parent element's font size is 20px, the 1em text will also be 20px.

You can also use the rem unit, which stands for root em, to set font size relative to the root HTML element. This means that the font size will not be affected by the parent element's font size. For instance, if you set the font size to 1rem, it will always be 16px, regardless of the parent element's font size.

Keywords are another way to set font size, and they can be absolute or relative. Absolute keywords, such as xx-small, x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, and xx-large, set a fixed font size that remains the same regardless of changes to the web page. Relative keywords, on the other hand, set a font size that will change depending on the font sizing elsewhere on the web page.

Here's a summary of the different ways to set font size using CSS:

Using pixels to set font size can be useful, but it's not recommended unless unavoidable. This is because absolute values don't allow users to adjust text sizes through browser settings.

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On the other hand, using relative units like ems and rems can provide more flexibility and accessibility. For example, if you set the font size to 1em, it will be the same as the parent element's font size. If the parent element's font size changes, the 1em text will also change accordingly.

In conclusion, setting text size is an important aspect of web design, and there are several ways to achieve it using CSS. By understanding the different units and keywords available, you can create a more flexible and accessible design that works well for users with different preferences.

Understanding Units

Pixels are absolute units that provide precision and don't change with browser settings or other contextual factors.

Absolute units like pixels are the same across devices and screen sizes, making them ideal for exact font sizing, such as in UI elements or icons.

Ems are relative units based on the font size of the parent element, which can adapt to different situations.

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The em unit is ideal for creating scalable layouts, but can lead to compounding effects in some cases.

Rems are relative units based on the font size of the root element, making them predictable and easier to control.

Percentages are also relative to the parent element’s font size and are helpful for scalable designs, but require careful parent sizing.

Viewport units like vw and vh make font sizes responsive to screen size, enabling automatic scaling.

Here are some common units used for font sizing:

  • Pixels (px): Absolute unit
  • Ems (em): Relative unit based on parent element's font size
  • Rems (rem): Relative unit based on root element's font size
  • Percentages (%): Relative to parent element's font size
  • Viewport Units (vw, vh): Relative to viewport size

CSS Syntax and Usage

The CSS property that controls the text size is quite straightforward, and it's called font-size.

The general syntax of the CSS property font-size is as below, which is a simple and easy-to-understand format.

The font-size property specifies the size of the font in CSS and works with any text-based HTML element.

To use font-size in CSS, you need to specify the size of the font, and you can do this using a variety of units such as pixels, ems, or percentages.

The font-size property can be used to make text larger or smaller, which is especially useful for accessibility purposes or for creating a specific design aesthetic.

Example 2

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In Example 2, we used a different value for the font size in CSS, specifically the relative value "larger". This value changes the size of the text inside the paragraph tag.

The larger value is a relative value, meaning it's based on the parent element's font size. We used it to change the size of the text inside the paragraph tag in the same program used in Example 1.

The strong tag was also used to display the selected words in bold. This is a common practice in CSS to emphasize important text.

In this example, the font size of the paragraph was changed using the relative value "larger". This is in contrast to using absolute values, which are discussed in Example 3.

The larger value is a good option when you want to increase the font size without specifying an exact value. It's also a good choice when you want to make your text more readable without affecting the overall layout of your page.

The browser will automatically adjust the font size based on the larger value, making it a convenient option for many web developers.

Responsive

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Responsive design is all about making your website look great on any device, and that includes adjusting the text size to fit the screen. This is where viewport units come in.

You can use the viewport meta tag to adjust the viewport of the browser according to the device, making your text size responsive. The viewport is the area of the browser where the content of the webpage is seen.

There are four viewport units you can use to set the size of a text: vw, vh, vmin, and vmax. Each one is relative to a different dimension of the screen.

Here are the four viewport units:

  • vw (Viewport Width) - Relative to screen width. 1vw equals 1% of the screen width.
  • vh (Viewport Height) - Relative to screen height. 1vh equals 1% of the screen height.
  • vmin (Viewport Minimum) - Relative to the smaller dimension of the viewer’s screen. 1vmin equals 1% height or width of the screen whichever is smaller.
  • vmax (Viewport Maximum) - Relative to the larger dimension of the viewer’s screen. 1vmax equals 1% height or width of the screen whichever is larger.

You can use a media query to restrict texts from becoming too large or small on screens with extreme dimensions. This is especially useful when working with very wide or very tall screens.

Ann Predovic

Lead Writer

Ann Predovic is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting informative and engaging content. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for research, she has established herself as a go-to expert in various fields, including technology and software. Her writing career has taken her down a path of exploring complex topics, making them accessible to a broad audience.

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