HTML - <basefont>

The HTML basefont element (<basefont>) establishes a default font size for a document. Font size then can be varied relative to the base font size using the <font> element.

Example

 

HTML
<basefont color="#FF0000" face="Helvetica" size="+2" />

Description  

The HTML basefont element (<basefont>) establishes a default font size for a document. Font size then can be varied relative to the base font size using the <font> element.

Usage note:

Do not use this element! Though once (imprecisely) normalized in HTML 3.2, it wasn't supported in all major browsers. Further, browsers, and even successive versions of browsers, never implemented it in the same way: practically, using it has always brought indeterminate results.

The <basefont> element was deprecated in the standard at the same time as all elements related to styling only. Starting with HTML 4, HTML does not convey styling information anymore (outside the <style> element or the style attribute of each element). In HTML5, this element has been removed completely. For any new web development, styling should be written using CSS only.

The former behavior of the <font> element can be achieved, and even better controlled using the CSS Fonts properties.

Browser Compatibility  

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support Not supported Not supported (Yes) Not supported Not supported
Feature Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) IE Mobile Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support ? Not supported ? Not supported ?

Notes  

  • HTML 3.2 supports the basefont element but only with the size attribute.
  • The strict HTML and XHTML specifications do not support this element.
  • Despite being part of transitional standards, some standards-focused browsers like Mozilla and Opera do not support this element.
  • This element can be imitated with a CSS rule on the <body> element.
  • XHTML 1.0 requires a trailing slash for this element: <basefont />.

 

This element implements the HTMLBaseFontElement interface.

License

© 2016 Mozilla Contributors
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-us/docs/web/html/element/basefont

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