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Responsive Typography in CSS (Live Playground)

Responsive typography is the practice of adapting text styles based on the screen size and resolution to ensure that text is readable and visually appealing across different devices. In this tutorial, you will learn about responsive typography, how to create fluid typography using relative units, and how to use media queries to control font sizes, along with sample code and simple explanations.

Using relative units​

Relative units, such as em, rem, and %, are used to create fluid typography that scales based on the size of the parent element or the root element.

Example:

CSS
body {
  font-size: 1rem;
}

h1 {
  font-size: 2em;
}

In this example, the font-size property of the body element is set to 1rem, which means it will scale based on the root element's font size. The font-size property of the h1 element is set to 2em, which means it will scale based on the font-size of the parent element.

Live Playground, Try it Yourself

Using media queries​

Media queries allow you to apply different styles based on the screen size and resolution, making it possible to control font sizes for different devices.

Example:

CSS
body {
  font-size: 16px;
}

@media screen and (min-width: 768px) {
  body {
    font-size: 18px;
  }
}

@media screen and (min-width: 1024px) {
  body {
    font-size: 20px;
  }
}

In this example, the font-size property of the body element is set to 16px by default. When the screen width is at least 768px, the font-size property is increased to 18px. When the screen width is at least 1024px, the font-size property is increased to 20px.

Live Playground, Try it Yourself

Conclusion​

By understanding and using responsive typography in CSS, you can ensure that your text is easily readable and visually appealing across different devices. This improves the user experience, making your web pages more engaging and accessible, regardless of the device being used to view them.