Which CSS Property Can Be Used to Configure Italic Text?

Italic text is a common typographic style used to emphasize words, denote citations, or enhance readability in web design. In CSS, the font-style property is used to configure italic text.

In this blog, we’ll explore how font-style works, the different values it supports, and best practices for using italic text effectively in your designs.

Using the font-style Property to Make Text Italic

The font-style property controls the slant of the text and determines whether text is normal, italic, or oblique.

Syntax:

selector {
    font-style: value;
}

Example 1: Making Text Italic

p {
    font-style: italic;
}

<p>This is italic text.</p>

This will render the paragraph text in an italic style.

---

Available Values for font-style

Value	Description
normal	Default text style (not italic).
italic	Displays text in italics, using the italic version of the font (if available).
oblique	Slants the text at an angle, simulating italics if no italic version is available.

Example 2: Different font-style Values

.normal-text {
    font-style: normal;
}

.italic-text {
    font-style: italic;
}

.oblique-text {
    font-style: oblique;
}

<p class="normal-text">This is normal text.</p>
<p class="italic-text">This is italic text.</p>
<p class="oblique-text">This is oblique text.</p>

🔹 Key Difference Between italic and oblique:

• italic uses a proper italic version of the font if available.
• oblique artificially slants the text if no italic version exists.

---

Using Italic Text with Different Fonts

Not all fonts include an italic variant. To ensure consistent styling, choose a font that explicitly supports italics.

Example 3: Using a Web Font with Italics

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400;1,700&display=swap');

body {
    font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
}

.italic-text {
    font-style: italic;
}

This imports the Roboto font with italic support and ensures proper rendering.

---

Using the <i> and <em> Tags in HTML

HTML provides two tags for italicizing text:

• <i>: Used for stylistic purposes (e.g., technical terms, foreign words).
• <em>: Emphasizes content semantically, improving accessibility.

<p>This is <i>italic</i> text.</p>
<p>This is <em>emphasized</em> text.</p>

✅ Best Practice: Use <em> for meaningful emphasis and apply CSS font-style for visual styling.

---

Best Practices for Using Italic Text in CSS

1. Use Italics Sparingly
   • Overuse of italics can reduce readability. Use it for emphasis, citations, or specific design elements.
2. Ensure Font Support
   • Some fonts do not include italic variants, so test your chosen font to ensure proper rendering.
3. Consider Accessibility
   • Screen readers interpret <em> differently than <i>, making <em> a better choice for accessibility.
4. Use Italics for Quotes & Citations
   • Italicize citations or book titles using CSS: cite { font-style: italic; } <cite>The Great Gatsby</cite>

---

Conclusion

The font-style property is the key CSS property for configuring italic text. While italic and oblique styles provide different visual effects, proper font selection and semantic HTML tags (<em> and <i>) ensure accessibility and readability.

By using italics thoughtfully and following best practices, you can enhance typography and create a more engaging user experience.