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Usage of font-size property in CSS
The font-size property in CSS controls the size of text elements. It accepts various units and keywords to specify how large or small text should appear on a webpage.
Syntax
font-size: value;
Font Size Values
The font-size property accepts several types of values:
- Absolute keywords: xx-small, x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large
- Relative keywords: smaller, larger
- Length units: pixels (px), em, rem, points (pt)
- Percentage: relative to parent element's font size
Example: Different Font Size Values
<html>
<head>
<style>
.pixel-size { font-size: 18px; }
.keyword-small { font-size: small; }
.keyword-large { font-size: large; }
.em-size { font-size: 1.5em; }
.percent-size { font-size: 120%; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p style="font-size: 15px;">This font size is 15 pixels</p>
<p style="font-size: small;">This font size is small</p>
<p style="font-size: large;">This font size is large</p>
<p class="em-size">This font size is 1.5em</p>
<p class="percent-size">This font size is 120%</p>
</body>
</html>
Comparison of Font Size Units
| Unit Type | Example | Relative to | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixels (px) | 16px | Fixed size | Precise control |
| Em | 1.2em | Parent element | Scalable design |
| Percentage (%) | 120% | Parent element | Responsive text |
| Keywords | large | Browser default | Semantic sizing |
Best Practices
- Use
remunits for consistent scaling across the entire document - Use
emunits for components that should scale relative to their parent - Avoid very small sizes (below 12px) for readability
- Test font sizes across different devices and screen sizes
Conclusion
The font-size property offers flexible options for controlling text size using pixels, keywords, em units, or percentages. Choose the appropriate unit based on whether you need fixed sizing or responsive scaling.
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