`font-synthesis-style` CSS property

The font-synthesis-style CSS property lets you specify whether or not the browser may synthesize the oblique typeface when it is missing in a font family.

It is often convenient to use the shorthand property font-synthesis to control all typeface synthesis values.

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
font-synthesis-style: auto;
font-synthesis-style: none;
font-synthesis-style: oblique-only;

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

Values

This property is specified as one of the following keyword values:

auto

Indicates that the missing oblique typeface may be synthesized by the browser if needed.

none

Indicates that the synthesis of the missing oblique typeface by the browser is not allowed.

oblique-only

Same as auto, but no font synthesis occurs if font-style: italic is set.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

font-synthesis-style = 
  auto |
  none

Examples

Disabling synthesis of oblique typeface

This example shows turning off synthesis of the oblique typeface by the browser in the Montserrat font.

HTML

<p class="english">
  This is the default <em>oblique typeface</em> and
  <strong>bold typeface</strong>.
</p>

<p class="english no-syn">
  The <em>oblique typeface</em> is turned off here but not the
  <strong>bold typeface</strong>.
</p>

CSS

@import "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat&display=swap";

.english {
  font-family: "Montserrat", sans-serif;
}

.no-syn {
  font-synthesis-style: none;
}

Result

Comparison of font-synthesis-style values

This example compares all the font-synthesis-style values using italic and oblique styled texts.

HTML

<div class="fss-none">
  <h2>font-synthesis-style: none</h2>
  <p class="oblique">This text is set to <code>oblique</code></p>
  <p class="italic">This text is set to <code>italic</code></p>
</div>

<div class="fss-auto">
  <h2>font-synthesis-style: auto</h2>
  <p class="oblique">This text is set to <code>oblique</code></p>
  <p class="italic">This text is set to <code>italic</code></p>
</div>

<div class="fss-oblique-only">
  <h2>font-synthesis-style: oblique-only</h2>
  <p class="oblique">This text is set to <code>oblique</code></p>
  <p class="italic">This text is set to <code>italic</code></p>
</div>

CSS

@import "https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat&display=swap";

p {
  font-family: "Montserrat", sans-serif;
  font-size: 1.2rem;
}

@supports not (font-synthesis-style: oblique-only) {
  body::before {
    content: "Your browser doesn't support the 'oblique-only' value.";
    background-color: wheat;
    display: block;
    text-align: center;
    padding: 1rem 0;
  }
}

/* Specify style of the font synthesis */
.fss-none {
  font-synthesis-style: none;
}

.fss-auto {
  font-synthesis-style: auto;
}

.fss-oblique-only {
  font-synthesis-style: oblique-only;
}

/* Set font styles */
.oblique {
  font-style: oblique;
}

.italic {
  font-style: italic;
}

/* Styles for the demonstration */
.oblique::after {
  content: " (font-style: oblique)";
  font-size: 0.8rem;
  vertical-align: sub;
}

.italic::after {
  content: " (font-style: italic)";
  font-size: 0.8rem;
  vertical-align: sub;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• font-synthesis shorthand, font-synthesis-small-caps, font-synthesis-weight
• font-style, font-variant, font-weight