How do web fonts vs system fonts behave?

System fonts are pre-installed and render immediately. Web fonts must be loaded from external servers, which many email clients block for security and privacy reasons.

Web font support in email is limited: Apple Mail and iOS Mail support @font-face. Some Android clients support it. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo strip web font declarations. This means web fonts work for maybe 30-40% of recipients depending on your audience.

Design with fallbacks assumed. Specify web fonts for clients that support them, but ensure your fallback stack looks good-because most recipients will see fallbacks. Don't design emails where a specific web font is essential to comprehension or brand recognition. The font might not render, and your email must still work.

Was this answer helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!