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CSS fonts should be based on a generic font family to ensure an appropriate style font is rendered in any circumstances. Preferred font names should be declared in order of preference in a comma separated font family list tailored for specific platforms.

CSS font family: cursive

Cursive fonts have a hand written style, are usually inclined and sometimes have strokes that extend into swashes. Cursive font faces have a wide variety of font styles, so are best used cautiously on the Web, with the CSS font family name cursive.

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The most common cursive fonts

The only cursive font that is likely to be present on all systems is Microsoft Comic Sans MS, but its frequency on Unix family systems is quite low. Monotype Corsiva on Windows and URW Chancery on Unix and Linux systems are very similar to Apple Chancery on Mac. Brush Script MT is available on Mac OSX systems and Windows, but it is not common on either platform overall.

Cursive font names may indicate the style of lettering, with suffixes "hand", "handwriting", "script", "calligraphy" and "chancery".

Most common cursive fonts on Windows to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
Comic Sans MS99.48%99.48%StackImage
MV Boli97.75%97.75%Stack
Monotype Corsiva83.33%83.33%StackImage
Tempus Sans ITC72.90%72.90%StackImage
Kristen ITC72.38%72.38%StackImage
Mistral72.27%72.27%StackImage
Bradley Hand ITC70.70%70.70%StackImage
French Script MT70.60%70.60%StackImage
Freestyle Script69.13%69.13%Stack
Vivaldi68.61%68.61%StackImage
Maiandra GD67.40%67.40%StackImage
Pristina67.19%67.19%Stack
Edwardian Script ITC67.03%67.03%StackImage
Lucida Handwriting66.51%66.51%StackImage
Blackadder ITC66.35%66.35%StackImage
Lucida Calligraphy62.58%62.58%Stack
Viner Hand ITC62.16%62.16%Stack
Vladimir Script61.74%61.74%Stack
Kunstler Script61.69%61.69%Stack
Segoe Script61.66%61.66%Stack
Informal Roman61.58%61.58%Stack
Segoe Print61.38%61.38%Stack
Brush Script MT61.01%61.01%StackImage
Mongolian Baiti60.18%60.18%Stack
Script MT Bold59.17%59.17%Stack
Palace Script MT58.70%58.70%Stack
Forte58.18%58.18%Stack
Rage Italic58.18%58.18%Stack
Gigi57.81%57.81%Stack
Gungsuh57.29%57.29%Stack
GungsuhChe57.29%57.29%Stack
Staccato222 BT11.11%11.11%Stack
ParkAvenue BT8.44%8.44%Stack
Calligraph421 BT8.18%8.18%Stack
Cataneo BT8.02%8.02%Stack
Ruach LET7.86%7.86%Stack
John Handy LET7.70%7.70%Stack
Rage Italic LET7.70%7.70%Stack
La Bamba LET7.65%7.65%Stack
One Stroke Script LET6.71%6.71%Stack
Smudger LET6.71%6.71%Stack
Tiranti Solid LET6.71%6.71%Stack
Jenkins v2.03.98%3.98%Stack
GlooGun3.83%3.83%Stack
Fat3.56%3.56%Stack
Andy3.41%3.41%Stack
Pepita MT2.88%2.88%Stack
Bickley Script2.25%2.25%Stack
DomBold BT2.25%2.25%Stack
Mercurius Script MT Bold1.89%1.89%Stack
Fine Hand1.83%1.83%Stack
A Charming Font1.47%1.47%Stack
Champignon1.47%1.47%Stack
Apple Chancery1.42%1.42%Stack
Mead Bold1.15%1.15%Stack
BudHand0.79%0.79%Stack
DecoType Naskh0.79%0.79%Stack
Textile0.10%0.10%Stack
Most common cursive fonts on Mac to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
Comic Sans MS94.78%94.78%StackImage
Apple Chancery94.30%94.30%StackImage
Zapfino93.51%93.51%StackImage
Brush Script MT92.56%92.56%StackImage
PilGi73.24%73.24%Stack
Casual64.31%64.31%Stack
Lucida Handwriting53.96%53.96%StackImage
Monotype Corsiva53.01%53.01%Stack
Adobe Arabic44.12%44.12%Stack
Textile6.80%6.80%StackImage
Sand5.54%5.54%StackImage
Adobe Garamond4.06%4.06%Stack
Caflisch Script Pro3.53%3.53%Stack
Shelley2.47%2.47%Stack
Kaufmann2.12%2.12%Stack
Porcelain1.59%1.59%Stack
Ryo Display Std1.47%1.47%Stack
Apple Casual1.24%1.24%Stack
Zapf Chancery1.11%1.11%StackImage
Most common cursive fonts on Linux to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
URW Chancery L99.52%99.52%StackImage
Comic Sans MS68.02%68.02%Stack
Purisa65.17%65.17%Stack
Vemana200062.92%62.92%Stack
Domestic Manners13.69%13.69%Stack
AlHor8.03%8.03%Stack
Arab8.03%8.03%Stack
Dimnah8.03%8.03%Stack
Furat8.03%8.03%Stack
Graph8.03%8.03%Stack
Hor8.03%8.03%Stack
Nagham8.03%8.03%Stack
Rasheeq-Bold8.03%8.03%Stack
Tholoth8.03%8.03%Stack
AlMohanad5.84%5.84%Stack

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Font jargon: CSS font family glossary

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