A font stack is an ordered list of font family names in a CSS font-family value. The browser tries them in order, then falls back to the next available font if one is missing. section 18.2 section 18.1
It helps page text stay readable across different devices, since system fonts are not installed everywhere. The safest ending is usually a generic family such as serif, sans-serif, or monospace. section 18.2 section 18.4
A basic stack strategy is to line fonts up from most specific to most dependable:
- Put your preferred font first. section 18.2
- Follow with a close match or near-universal substitute. section 18.2
- End with a generic family from the same style. section 18.2 section 18.4
Example stack
font-family: "League Spartan", Futura, Tahoma, sans-serif;
Project-style usage
A page body can use a stack like "Open Sans", Verdana, sans-serif alongside background and text colors. section 20.12
