Michael Bernard (et al.) has examined reading speed, perception of legibility, and preference of the most popular fonts used on the web. The study showed that:
- There was no significant difference in legibility between the fonts studied at 10-, 12- and 14-point sizes
- Generally Times and Arial was faster in reading time than Courier, Schoolbook, and Georgia
- Arial, Courier, and Georgia were perceived as the most legible fonts
- Verdana was the most preferred font, while Times was the least preferred
The authors conclude that Verdana appears to be the best overall font choice. Besides being the most preferred, it was read fairly quickly and was perceived as being legible.
Links:
- The article A Comparison of Popular Online Fonts: Which Size and Type is Best?

- The article A Comparison of Popular Online Fonts: Which is Best and When?

Henrik Olsen
- October 14, 2002
See also: Text (24)