The
<basefont>tag was used to define a default font size, color, and font face for all text in an HTML document.
Once set, all text on the page inherited these font properties unless overridden by other tags.⚠️ The
<basefont>tag is deprecated and not supported in HTML5.
Modern web development uses CSS for controlling typography.
Syntax
<basefont size="value" color="color" face="font-name">Attributes
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
size | Sets the base font size (1–7 or relative values like +1) |
color | Sets the default text color |
face | Sets the default font family |
| (Global attributes) | Not supported |
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Basefont Tag Example</title>
</head>
<body>
<basefont size="4" color="blue" face="Arial">
<h2>Basefont Tag Example</h2>
<p>This paragraph follows the base font settings.</p>
<p>All text inherits size, color, and font face.</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
Browser Output
In older browsers, all text appears:
Blue
Larger than default
Rendered in Arial
In modern browsers, the <basefont> tag is ignored, so no styling effect is visible.
Browser Support
 Chrome |  Firefox |  Edge |  Safari |  Opera |  IE9+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ❌No | ❌No | ❌No | ❌No | ❌No | ⚠️Partial |
The tag is ignored by modern browsers.
Notes
<basefont>affects the entire document globally.- It was replaced by CSS font rules like:
- Deprecated due to lack of flexibility and poor separation of content and style.
body {
font-family: Arial;
font-size: 16px;
color: blue;
}
Conclusion
The <basefont> tag was an early attempt at global text styling in HTML but is now obsolete.
Modern websites should always use CSS for font control, consistency, and responsiveness.
