Fonts in email: what works, what breaks, and how to fix it

Fonts in email present unique challenges compared to web fonts due to the varying rendering environments of email clients, which often ignore standard web font declarations like @font-face. This discrepancy means that while Apple Mail and iOS Mail support custom fonts well, others like Gmail and Outlook often default to their own fonts, leading to inconsistent displays across different platforms. To address this, the industry standard recommends a "fallback-first" strategy, starting with universally recognized system fonts such as Arial and Helvetica, then layering custom fonts for clients that can support them. Ensuring readability and accessibility is crucial, with guidelines suggesting minimum font sizes and line heights to maintain clarity. Courier's notification designer automates the process by selecting compatible fallback fonts and offering a library of Google web fonts for enhanced customization, ensuring emails maintain a consistent appearance across various clients.

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