Fonts

The default theme choice dictates font usage in Pressbooks.  Please see the Pressbooks Theme Page for more information. The default fonts for each theme are listed below.

• Jacobs Theme: Montserrat (sans serif font)
• Malala Theme: Headings are set in Raleway (sans serif font), and the body type is set in Encode Sans (sans serif font for the webbook and ebook exports) or EB Garamond (serif font for PDF exports). Malala is set with a sans-serif font that is best for online reading and low-resolution screens but also offers a serif font that is best for print reading. If choosing Malala and consistency in font in the PDF is needed throughout, add the custom code below.

*San serif fonts are preferred in online book versions, and serif fonts are preferred for printed copies (Tymoshchuk, 2021). 

Of course, a different theme may sometimes be used for a unique project, or we may apply custom coding to alter the text font. For accessibility, we try to remain consistent with using fonts throughout a project, including custom code to match the book’s text in a table when using the latex plugin.  Refer to our team members for help if you create a table using latex to ensure appropriate font.

Fonts in Graphics

• Typically, when it is a Fanshawe branded project, we use the Gotham Font set (and its variations, such as Gotham Medium, Gotham Bold, etc.) for images with text-based content. Note: Gotham is a proprietary paid font, so any equivalent will also do, where appropriate. Ask a member of the ODS team if you do not have access to the Gotham Font pack.
• We always consider accessibility and readability for graphics in a Pressbook, so using San Serif fonts is best. Good accessible font types have a certain level of legibility, including good height, width, and thickness (UNC Greensborough 2024); typically, Arial, Arimo, Calabri, or Montserrat variations will work, especially if the graphic contains informational text, such as graphs, charts, or process flows.

Fonts on the “Highly Recommended” list below are among the highest-rated regarding readability, legibility, and availability. Fonts on the “Other Acceptable Accessible Fonts” list below are accessible and acceptable but may be slightly less readable, legible, and/or available for some users.

Custom Fonts

Once you have added the studio boilerplate SCSS to the Custom Styles of your book (see Studio Boilerplate SCSS), you will have access to the following fonts in addition to the Pressbooks theme defaults:

• Montserrat – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Open Sans  – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Roboto – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Lato – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Oswald – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Public Sans – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Radio Canada – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Noto Sans – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Krub – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• El Messiri – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Comic Neue – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Akaya Kanadaka – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Gaegu – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Coming Soon – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• Space Grotesk – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio
• McLaren – This is a Test Fanshawe OER Design Studio

Montserrat is set as the default font by the boilerplate code. You can set the global font variables for secondary font, cursive font, and ornamental font in your custom styles and then use them in your page HTML like this:

<span style="font-family: var(--ornamental-font), sans-serif;">Text in ornamental font</span>

Or you can use the font names directly in a similar fashion (note that font names containing white space need to be enclosed in single quotes):

<span style="font-family: 'El Messiri', sans-serif;">Text in El Messiri</span>

If there is a need for a different font than the ones available, it can be imported in your custom styles from Google Fonts. Please ensure that any fonts used are accessible and appropriate. When you have chosen the font you want to import, make sure you grab the @import embed code for web and paste it into the custom styles of your book for web, PDF, and eBook.

“Making design elements accessible” from Accessibility Resources at UNCG. UNC Greensboro. Copyright ©2024 UNC Greensboro. All rights reserved.

“Step 3: Choosing a Theme” from A Quick Guide for OER Textbook Production in Pressbooks by Lane Open Educational Resources is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.