The Deprecated HTML `<font>` Tag: Why CSS is the Preferred Method for Text Styling

Understand why the HTML `<font>` tag is deprecated and learn how to achieve better text styling using CSS. This tutorial explains the advantages of using CSS over `<font>`, emphasizing improved code maintainability, accessibility, and the creation of more robust and flexible web designs.

The Deprecated HTML `<font>` Tag

Understanding the `<font>` Tag

The HTML `<font>` tag was used in older versions of HTML (HTML 4) to specify font, color, and size for text. However, this tag is now deprecated in HTML5, meaning it's no longer officially supported and should be avoided in new code. Modern web development uses CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) for styling, offering greater flexibility and better separation of content and presentation.

Alternatives to `<font>`

To style text in modern HTML, use CSS. CSS provides a much more robust and flexible way to control text appearance and allows you to apply styles to many elements at the same time. Here are examples showing how to achieve the same effects as the `<font>` tag using CSS:

Setting Text Color with CSS:

p {
  color: blue;
}

Setting Text Font with CSS:

p {
  font-family: Arial;
}

Setting Text Size with CSS:

p {
  font-size: 16px;
}

For more detailed information on using CSS for text styling, refer to the W3Schools CSS Text and CSS Fonts tutorials.