How to change font size in HTML
Understanding the Basics
As you embark on your programming journey, you might find yourself asking, "how do I change the font size in HTML?". You're in luck because this blog post is going to guide you through the process step-by-step.
HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language, is the basic building block of web pages, and it's responsible for the content and structure of a website. Consider HTML as the skeleton of a website. Just as bones give structure to our body, HTML gives structure to our website.
The Font Size Attribute: A Look Back
In the earlier days of HTML, changing the font size was as straightforward as using the <font> tag with its size attribute. Here's an example:
<font size="5">This is some text!</font>
The size attribute could take values from 1 to 7, with 1 being the smallest and 7 being the largest. However, this method is not recommended anymore as the <font> tag is not supported in HTML5, the latest version of HTML.
Embracing CSS: A Modern Approach
In the contemporary world of web development, we use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to style our HTML content, including changing the font size. Think of CSS as the skin and clothes that cover our skeleton (HTML), giving it color, style, and personality.
To change the font size using CSS, we use the font-size property. Let's look at an example:
<p style="font-size:20px;">This is some text!</p>
In the above code, the font-size property is set to 20px where px stands for pixels. Pixels are the most common unit used in screen display.
Choosing the Right Unit for Font Size
In CSS, we can define the font-size using various units such as pixels (px), em (em), percentage (%), and rem (rem). The choice of unit can have a significant effect on how the font size appears on different screens and devices.
Pixels (px)
Pixels are fixed-size units. A pixel on one device is the same size as a pixel on another device. This means that if you set your font-size to 20px, it will look the same on all devices.
Em (em)
The em unit is relative to the font-size of its closest parent element. This means if the parent element has a font size of 20px, 1em will equal 20px.
Percentage (%)
Just like em, the percentage unit is also relative to the font size of the nearest parent element. For example, if the parent's font size is 20px, then 50% would be 10px.
Rem (rem)
The rem unit is relative to the root—or the html—element. This means that 1rem equals the font size of the html element (usually 16px).
Changing Font Size for Multiple Elements
So far, we've only looked at changing the font size for a single element. But what if we want to change the font size for multiple elements?
We can use a <style> tag in the <head> section of our HTML document, and target the elements we want to style. Here's an example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
p {
font-size: 30px;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>This is some text!</p>
<p>This is some more text!</p>
</body>
</html>
In the above code, all the <p> elements have a font size of 30px.
Responsive Font Size: A Step Further
In today's world, websites are accessed on a variety of devices with different screen sizes. Therefore, it's crucial to have a responsive font size that looks good on all devices. We can achieve this using viewport units (vw for viewport width and vh for viewport height).
Here's an example:
<p style="font-size:3vw;">This is some text!</p>
In the above code, the font size is 3% of the viewport's width. As a result, the font size will adjust based on the width of the device's screen.
In conclusion, changing the font size in HTML involves the use of CSS and understanding various units of measurement. Practice with different units and see the effects on different devices to master this skill. Happy coding!