font-synthesis-weight CSS property

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since March 2023.

The font-synthesis-weight CSS property lets you specify whether or not the browser may synthesize the bold 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

css
/* Keyword values */
font-synthesis-weight: auto;
font-synthesis-weight: none;

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

Values

auto

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

none

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

Formal definition

Initial valueauto
Applies toall elements and text. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line.
Inheritedyes
Computed valueas specified
Animation typediscrete

Formal syntax

font-synthesis-weight = 
auto |
none

Examples

Disabling synthesis of bold typeface

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

HTML

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

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

CSS

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

.english {
  font-family: "Montserrat", sans-serif;
}
.no-syn {
  font-synthesis-weight: none;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Fonts Module Level 4
# font-synthesis-weight

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
font-synthesis-weight
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 97 (Release date: 2022-01-06)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 83 (Release date: 2022-01-19)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 68 (Release date: 2022-03-30)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 18 (Release date: 2022-08-08)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
auto
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 97 (Release date: 2022-01-06)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 83 (Release date: 2022-01-19)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 68 (Release date: 2022-03-30)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 18 (Release date: 2022-08-08)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
none
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 97 (Release date: 2022-01-06)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 83 (Release date: 2022-01-19)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 111 (Release date: 2023-03-14)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 68 (Release date: 2022-03-30)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 18 (Release date: 2022-08-08)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 97 (Release date: 2022-01-04)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 16.4 (Release date: 2023-03-27)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support

See also