The font-stretch
CSS property selects a normal, condensed, or expanded face from a font.
/* Keyword values */ font-stretch: ultra-condensed; font-stretch: extra-condensed; font-stretch: condensed; font-stretch: semi-condensed; font-stretch: normal; font-stretch: semi-expanded; font-stretch: expanded; font-stretch: extra-expanded; font-stretch: ultra-expanded; /* Percentage values */ font-stretch: 50%; font-stretch: 100%; font-stretch: 200%; /* Global values */ font-stretch: inherit; font-stretch: initial; font-stretch: unset;
Syntax
This property may be specified as a single keyword value or a single <percentage>
value.
Values
normal
- Specifies a normal font face.
semi-condensed
,condensed
,extra-condensed
,ultra-condensed
- Specifies a more condensed font face than normal, with ultra-condensed as the most condensed.
semi-expanded
,expanded
,extra-expanded
,ultra-expanded
- Specifies a more expanded font face than normal, with ultra-expanded as the most expanded.
<percentage>
- A
<percentage>
value between 50% and 200% (inclusive). Negative values are not allowed for this property.
In earlier versions of the font-stretch
specification, the property accepts only the nine keyword values. CSS Fonts Level 4 extends the syntax to accept a <percentage>
value as well. This enables variable fonts to offer something more like a continuum of character widths. For TrueType or OpenType variable fonts, the "wdth" variation is used to implement varying widths.
However, note that the <percentage>
syntax is not yet supported by all browsers: check the Browser compatibility table for details.
Keyword to numeric mapping
The table below shows the mapping between keyword values and numeric percentages:
Keyword | Percentage |
---|---|
ultra-condensed |
50% |
extra-condensed |
62.5% |
condensed |
75% |
semi-condensed |
87.5% |
normal |
100% |
semi-expanded |
112.5% |
expanded |
125% |
extra-expanded |
150% |
ultra-expanded |
200% |
Description
Some font families offer additional faces in which the characters are narrower than the normal face (condensed faces) or wider than the normal face (expanded faces).
You can use font-stretch
to select a condensed or expanded face from such fonts. If the font you are using does not offer condensed or expanded faces, this property has no effect.
Font face selection
The face selected for a given value of font-stretch
depends on the faces supported by the font in question. If the font does not provide a face that exactly matches the given value, then values less than 100% map to a narrower face, and values greater than or equal to 100% map to a wider face.
The table below demonstrates the effect of supplying various different percentage values of font-stretch
on two different fonts:
50% | 62.5% | 75% | 87.5% | 100% | 112.5% | 125% | 150% | 200% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helvetica Neue | |||||||||
League Mono Variable |
- Helvetica Neue, which is installed by default on macOS, has a single condensed face in addition to the normal face. All values of
font-stretch
less than 100% select the condensed face, while all other values select the normal face. - League Mono Variable is a variable font that offers something like a continuous range of widths for different percentage values of
font-stretch
.
Formal definition
Initial value | normal |
---|---|
Applies to | all elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line . |
Inherited | yes |
Computed value | as specified |
Animation type | a font stretch |
Formal syntax
<font-stretch-absolute>where
<font-stretch-absolute> = normal | ultra-condensed | extra-condensed | condensed | semi-condensed | semi-expanded | expanded | extra-expanded | ultra-expanded | <percentage>
Examples
Setting font stretch percentages
Note that this example will only work in browsers that support <percentage>
values.
HTML
<div class="container"> <p class="condensed">an elephantine lizard</p> <p class="normal">an elephantine lizard</p> <p class="expanded">an elephantine lizard</p> </div>
CSS
/* This example uses the League Mono Variable font, developed by Tyler Finck (https://www.tylerfinck.com/) and used here under the terms of the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1: http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=OFL_web */ @font-face { src: url('https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/16014/LeagueMonoVariable.ttf'); font-family:'LeagueMonoVariable'; font-style: normal; font-stretch: 1% 500%; /* Required by Chrome */ } .container { border: 10px solid #f5f9fa; padding: 0 1rem; font: 1.5rem 'LeagueMonoVariable', sans-serif; } .condensed { font-stretch: 50%; } .normal { font-stretch: 100%; } .expanded { font-stretch: 200%; }
Result
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
CSS Fonts Module Level 4 The definition of 'font-stretch' in that specification. |
Working Draft | Adds the <percentage> syntax for variable fonts. |
CSS Fonts Module Level 3 The definition of 'font-stretch' in that specification. |
Candidate Recommendation | Initial definition. |
Note: The font-stretch
property was initially defined in CSS 2, but dropped in CSS 2.1 due to the lack of browser implementation. It was brought back in CSS 3.
Browser compatibility
Desktop | Mobile | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
font-stretch | Chrome
Full support
60
| Edge Full support 12 | Firefox Full support 9 | IE Full support 9 | Opera
Full support
47
| Safari Full support 11 | WebView Android
Full support
60
| Chrome Android
Full support
60
| Firefox Android Full support 9 | Opera Android
Full support
44
| Safari iOS Full support 11 | Samsung Internet Android
Full support
8.0
|
<percentage> syntax | Chrome Full support 62 | Edge Full support 18 | Firefox Full support 61 | IE No support No | Opera Full support 49 | Safari Full support 11.1 | WebView Android Full support 62 | Chrome Android Full support 62 | Firefox Android Full support 61 | Opera Android Full support 46 | Safari iOS Full support 11.3 | Samsung Internet Android Full support 8.0 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
- No support
- No support
- See implementation notes.
- See implementation notes.