font-synthesis

The font-synthesis CSS property controls which missing typefaces, bold, italic, or small-caps, may be synthesized by the browser.

Try it

Syntax

font-synthesis: none;
font-synthesis: weight;
font-synthesis: style;
font-synthesis: small-caps;
font-synthesis: weight style small-caps;

/* Global values */
font-synthesis: inherit;
font-synthesis: initial;
font-synthesis: revert;
font-synthesis: revert-layer;
font-synthesis: unset;

Values

none

Indicates that no bold, italic, nor small-caps typeface may be synthesized.

weight

Indicates that a bold typeface may be synthesized if needed.

style

Indicates that an italic typeface may be synthesized if needed.

small-caps

Indicates that a small-caps typeface may be synthesized if needed.

Description

Most standard Western fonts include italic and bold variants, and some fonts include a small-caps variant. However, many fonts do not. Fonts used for Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other logographic scripts tend not to include these variants, and synthesizing them may impede the legibility of the text. In these cases, it may be desirable to switch off the browser's default font-synthesis.

Formal definition

Initial valueweight style
Applies toall elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line.
Inheritedyes
Computed valueas specified
Animation typediscrete

Formal syntax

font-synthesis = 
  none                               |
  [ weight || style || small-caps ]

Examples

Disabling font synthesis

HTML

<em class="syn">Synthesize me! 站直。</em>
<br />
<em class="no-syn">Don't synthesize me! 站直。</em>

CSS

em {
  font-weight: bold;
}
.syn {
  font-synthesis: style weight small-caps;
}
.no-syn {
  font-synthesis: none;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Fonts Module Level 4
# font-synthesis

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also