Whether you’re a web designer, a developer, or simply an enthusiastic font lover, being able to identify the typeface on a website can prove useful. Thankfully, a variety of tools and methods have made this process much easier. Let’s delve into the different techniques to identify fonts on any website.
1. Use the Browser’s Developer Tools
Almost all modern browsers come with a built-in developer console that allows you to peek into a website’s styles and properties, including fonts. Here’s a basic way to use this feature on Google Chrome:
- Right-click on the text whose font you want to identify.
- Click on “Inspect” from the dropdown menu. This will open the developer console.
- In the right panel of the console, look for the “Styles” tab. There, you should see a section titled “font-family”, revealing the typeface used.
This method is not exclusive to Chrome and works similarly on other browsers, such as Firefox and Safari.
2. Use a Browser Extension
A more straightforward way to identify fonts is to use a dedicated browser extension. These extensions usually offer a point-and-click functionality, making the process more user-friendly.
- WhatFont (Chrome & Firefox): Search WhatFont in the Chrome/Firefox app store. This simple tool allows you to hover over text to identify the font. After installing the extension from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons, click on the “f?” icon in your browser toolbar and then hover over any text on the webpage to identify the font.
- Fontanello (Chrome & Firefox): Look for Fontanello extension in the Chrome/Firefox app store. This extension lets you right-click on a piece of text and instantly see the font in the context menu.
3. Use an Online Font Identifier
For those times when browser tools aren’t handy, online font identification tools come to the rescue.
- Fount (https://fount.artequalswork.com/): Fount is a bookmarklet that you can add to your browser’s bookmarks bar. Once added, click on it and then click on any text on a webpage to identify the font.
- WhatTheFont: Initially designed to identify fonts in images, WhatTheFont has expanded its services to include webpages. Visit WhatTheFont and paste the URL of the page with the font you’re interested in, and the tool will identify it.
4. Use a Third-Party Application
Third-party applications can offer more robust features, including identifying fonts in images or offline materials.
- Identifont.com: This tool lets you identify fonts by appearance, name, similarity, and even by the designer or publisher.
In conclusion, there are plenty of ways to identify fonts on a website, each catering to different needs and levels of technical proficiency. From using your browser’s developer tools to employing a helpful browser extension, or an online tool or a third-party application, font identification is just a few clicks away. Embrace these tools and never wonder about a typeface again!
3 Jul 2023
Identifying Fonts on Websites: A Comprehensive Guide
Whether you’re a web designer, a developer, or simply an enthusiastic font lover, being able to identify the typeface on a website can prove useful. Thankfully, a variety of tools and methods have made this process much easier. Let’s delve into the different techniques to identify fonts on any website.
1. Use the Browser’s Developer Tools
Almost all modern browsers come with a built-in developer console that allows you to peek into a website’s styles and properties, including fonts. Here’s a basic way to use this feature on Google Chrome:
This method is not exclusive to Chrome and works similarly on other browsers, such as Firefox and Safari.
2. Use a Browser Extension
A more straightforward way to identify fonts is to use a dedicated browser extension. These extensions usually offer a point-and-click functionality, making the process more user-friendly.
3. Use an Online Font Identifier
For those times when browser tools aren’t handy, online font identification tools come to the rescue.
4. Use a Third-Party Application
Third-party applications can offer more robust features, including identifying fonts in images or offline materials.
In conclusion, there are plenty of ways to identify fonts on a website, each catering to different needs and levels of technical proficiency. From using your browser’s developer tools to employing a helpful browser extension, or an online tool or a third-party application, font identification is just a few clicks away. Embrace these tools and never wonder about a typeface again!