The Deprecated HTML `` Tag: Why You Shouldn't Use It and How to Use CSS for Font Sizing

Learn why the HTML `` tag is deprecated and how to use CSS for controlling font sizes instead. This guide explains the drawbacks of using `` (mixing content and presentation) and demonstrates the advantages of using CSS for better code maintainability, flexibility, and separation of concerns.

The Deprecated HTML <big> Tag

The <big> Tag is Deprecated

The HTML <big> tag was used in older versions of HTML (HTML 4) to make text larger. However, this tag is now deprecated in HTML5, meaning it's no longer considered best practice and may not be supported by all browsers. Mixing content and presentation is generally bad practice; it's much better to use CSS for controlling the visual aspects of your text.

Modern Alternatives: Using CSS for Font Size

The preferred and more flexible way to control text size is with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). CSS allows for precise control over font sizes, and it keeps your HTML clean and semantic, separating content structure from presentation. This improves maintainability and makes your code easier to update and adapt.

Example using CSS:

HTML

<p style="font-size: 16px;">This is a normal paragraph.</p>
<p style="font-size: 2em;">This is a bigger paragraph.</p>
<p style="font-size: 300%;">This is a much bigger paragraph.</p>

This shows three paragraphs with different font sizes, controlled directly through CSS. Note that you can use various units for font size in CSS (pixels, ems, percentages, etc.).