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CSS fonts should be based on a generic font family to ensure an appropriate style font is rendered in any circumstances. Preferred font names should be declared in order of preference in a comma separated font family list tailored for specific platforms.

CSS font family: serif

Serif fonts tend to have a relatively narrow, upright shape with distinctive serifs across the end of the letter strokes. Serif font faces are generally considered to have a classic, formal, businesslike font style that is reliable for the Web. Use the CSS font family name serif.

The most common serif fonts

The only serif fonts common to all systems are the ubiquitous Times New Roman and Georgia, although its frequency on Unix family operating systems is quite low. The original Times font on which Times New Roman is based is common to Mac and Unix family systems.

Palatino is found on Mac and to a lesser extent Unix systems and is the inspiration for Book Antiqua, which is quite common on Windows. Garamond is available on Windows and Mac systems, but is not very common on either.

As their names suggest, New Century Schoolbook for Mac, Century Schoolbook for Windows and Century Schoolbook L for Unix family systems have a common style. Also, Bookman for Mac, Bookman Old Style for Windows and URW Bookman L have a common heritage.

Most common serif fonts on Windows systems to 8 November 2008
Font name Installed (%) Sample Image
Palatino Linotype 97.59% 97.59% Text Image
Sylfaen 95.27% 95.27% Text
Georgia 92.77% 92.77% Text Image
Times New Roman 87.58% 87.58% Text Image
Bookman Old Style 84.34% 84.34% Text Image
Book Antiqua 83.92% 83.92% Text Image
Garamond 79.54% 79.54% Text Image
Perpetua 57.77% 57.77% Text Image
Rockwell 55.74% 55.74% Text Image
Calisto MT 50.51% 50.51% Text Image
Goudy Old Style 48.83% 48.83% Text Image
Rockwell Condensed 47.80% 47.80% Text
Gloucester MT Extra Condensed 47.30% 47.30% Text
Century Schoolbook 47.20% 47.20% Text Image
Onyx 46.62% 46.62% Text
Baskerville Old Face 46.45% 46.45% Text
Footlight MT Light 45.35% 45.35% Text Image
Bell MT 45.19% 45.19% Text
Bodoni MT Condensed 44.93% 44.93% Text
Centaur 44.93% 44.93% Text
Bodoni MT 44.85% 44.85% Text
Bodoni MT Black 44.85% 44.85% Text
High Tower Text 44.43% 44.43% Text
Californian FB 44.34% 44.34% Text
Niagara Engraved 43.92% 43.92% Text
Niagara Solid 43.83% 43.83% Text
Cambria 43.22% 43.22% Text Image
Lucida Fax 42.65% 42.65% Text
Constantia 42.37% 42.37% Text Image
Bodoni MT Poster Compressed 41.81% 41.81% Text
Bitstream Vera Serif 25.08% 25.08% Text
Lucida Bright 12.50% 12.50% Text
University Roman LET 7.16% 7.16% Text
Georgia Ref 4.40% 4.40% Text
Times 4.31% 4.31% Text
MS Reference Serif 4.06% 4.06% Text
Palatino 3.72% 3.72% Text
New Century Schoolbook 3.46% 3.46% Text
Runic MT Condensed 2.59% 2.59% Text
New York 1.69% 1.69% Text
Hoefler Text 1.27% 1.27% Text
Minion Web 0.17% 0.17% Text
Most common serif fonts on Mac systems to 8 November 2008
Font name Installed (%) Sample Image
Georgia 93.54% 93.54% Text Image
Times New Roman 90.31% 90.31% Text Image
Hoefler Text 88.40% 88.40% Text Image
Times 88.11% 88.11% Text Image
Baskerville 87.21% 87.21% Text Image
American Typewriter 87.13% 87.13% Text Image
Didot 86.05% 86.05% Text Image
Big Caslon 78.79% 78.79% Text Image
Palatino 78.71% 78.71% Text Image
New York 59.03% 59.03% Text Image
Bitstream Vera Serif 21.21% 21.21% Text
Lucida Bright 20.45% 20.45% Text
Century Schoolbook 18.18% 18.18% Text
Bookman Old Style 13.64% 13.64% Text
Garamond 12.88% 12.88% Text
Book Antiqua 10.61% 10.61% Text
Footlight MT Light 10.61% 10.61% Text
Goudy Old Style 10.61% 10.61% Text
Calisto MT 8.33% 8.33% Text
Cambria 7.58% 7.58% Text
Constantia 7.58% 7.58% Text
Bookman 3.03% 3.03% Text Image
New Century Schoolbook 3.03% 3.03% Text
Minion Web 2.27% 2.27% Text
Utopia 2.27% 2.27% Text
Caslon 1.52% 1.52% Text
Most common serif fonts on Unix systems to 8 November 2008
Font name Installed (%) Sample Image
Bitstream Charter 90.00% 90.00% Text
Century Schoolbook L 88.65% 88.65% Text Image
URW Bookman L 83.78% 83.78% Text Image
URW Palladio L 82.70% 82.70% Text Image
DejaVu Serif Condensed 78.00% 78.00% Text
Nimbus Roman No9 L 77.84% 77.84% Text
Bitstream Vera Serif 68.75% 68.75% Text Image
DejaVu Serif 61.67% 61.67% Text
FreeSerif 61.67% 61.67% Text
Utopia 60.54% 60.54% Text Image
Times New Roman 57.30% 57.30% Text
Georgia 53.24% 53.24% Text
Liberation Serif 52.00% 52.00% Text
Times 49.46% 49.46% Text
New Century Schoolbook 47.57% 47.57% Text
MgOpen Canonica 46.00% 46.00% Text
Luxi Serif 36.24% 36.24% Text Image
Charter 33.24% 33.24% Text
LucidaBright 32.00% 32.00% Text
ClearlyU 31.35% 31.35% Text
Vera Serif 16.00% 16.00% Text

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