Look closely at a capital “Q.” Tahoma’s tail starts inside the bowl. Look at the “a”—it is a double-story design (like a printed book) rather than a single-story one (like handwriting). This gives Tahoma a serious, architectural feel.
The italic , however, is where the machine stutters. Most sans-serif italics are simply “obliques.” Take Arial, Helvetica, or MS Sans Serif. When you hit the I button, the computer doesn’t draw a new letterform. It just mathematically shears the upright letters. The result is a windblown version of the original—functional, but soulless. tahoma italic
But today, I want to talk about its shadow. Its elusive, slightly awkward, fiercely practical cousin. Look closely at a capital “Q
.retro-italic { font-family: 'Tahoma', 'Segoe UI', 'Geneva', sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-size: 11px; /* The sacred pixel size */ letter-spacing: 0px; text-rendering: geometricPrecision; /* To preserve that jagged edge */ } Slap that on a modal dialog box. Put it on a tooltip. Use it for a caption that you want to feel slightly off, slightly human. The italic , however, is where the machine stutters
How to Use It (Ironically or Not) Want to evoke the golden age of Windows Longhorn? Here is the CSS you didn’t know you needed:
They are correct. Tahoma Italic is not elegant. It is not a Venetian Renaissance masterpiece.
