How does Fallback Style actually prevent Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)?

Most layout shifts happen because the fallback system font has different dimensions than your brand font. Fallback Style calculates the exact size-adjust and ascent/descent-override values needed to make the system font occupy the exact same spatial footprint as your brand font. When the web font swaps in, the text doesn't move.

Why can't I just change the font-size of the fallback?

Changing font-size affects the entire document flow and line-height. Fallback Style uses the modern size-adjust CSS property, which scales the font inside its line-box. This ensures that your grid and vertical rhythm remain perfectly intact during the font swap.

Can I use Fallback Style for rebrands?

Absolutely. It’s the perfect tool for auditing how a new, highly styled font (like a condensed or wide typeface) will impact your existing global content. Use the Panoramic Language Audit to catch layout breaks before they hit production.

What about browser support? Do all properties work in Safari?

Fallback Style uses modern CSS properties like size-adjust and ascent-override. While these are supported in all evergreen browsers (including Safari 17+), our generated code is designed for graceful degradation. In older versions of Safari that don't support these specific descriptors, the browser simply ignores them and renders the standard fallback. Your layout stays functional, while modern users enjoy a zero-shift experience.

What file formats do you support?

You can drag and drop .woff2, .woff, .otf, and .ttf files directly into the workspace. The app uses deep font parsing to extract the metadata needed for surgical alignment.

How do I share my settings with my developers?

You can export your entire workspace as a versioned JSON file or copy the production-ready CSS code. This ensures developers have the exact mathematical overrides required to match your design intent.

Fallback Style

A typography tool for global brands.

Create better localized web typography: Eliminate Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), banish "Tofu" characters, and maintain a razor-sharp brand identity.

Launch Tool

The bridge between design & code

No more "guessing" at line-heights or size-adjustments across locales. No more fumbling around Figma trying to simulate localized content.

1
Ingest
Drag and drop your .woff2 or .otf files.
2
Visualize
Add your target countries and regions to see your typography populated across every language you support.
3
Normalize
Use intuitive sliders to align x-heights and baselines with mathematical precision.
4
Perfect
Fine-tune ascent, descent, and line-gap overrides to lock in your layout.
5
Ship
Export production-ready CSS or a version-controlled JSON workspace that your developers can implement in seconds.

Design without boundaries

Precision type scale orchestration

One system, infinite control. Define and preview your entire type scale (H1–H6 + Body) in a unified, high-fidelity dashboard. With Detached Styles, you can break the rules when you need to.

Panoramic language audit

Review your entire global presence in one view. Fallback Style renders all supported languages simultaneously, allowing you to audit your entire localization strategy in seconds.

The end of "tofu" & broken layouts

Localized content shouldn't look like an afterthought. Fallback Style gives you the power to map specific fonts to specific languages with surgical precision.

visualization_mode: active

An X-Ray for
web typography

A suite of helpful visual guides and tools to demystify the "black box" of browser rendering.

LAYER_01

Color Guides

Instantly see which font is rendering which glyph with color-coded overlays.

LAYER_02

The Linebox Visualizer

Debug vertical rhythm and prevent clipping in tall scripts like Thai, Arabic, or Devanagari.

LAYER_03

Multi-Font Metric Audit

Select 2–4 fonts and compare them side-by-side to spot discrepancies in x-height.

Design without compromise.

Elevate your digital presence with a strategy that prioritizes inclusivity, performance, and brand consistency.

Inclusive & Global Design
Reach every user, everywhere. Robust fallback strategies ensure your content is legible and accessible across all languages and devices, preventing layout breaks and missing glyphs.
Peak Performance Optimization
Speed is a feature. Minimize Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) and optimize First Contentful Paint (FCP) to boost SEO rankings and retain impatient visitors.
Unwavering Brand Identity
Maintain your visual voice. Matching fallback fonts prevents jarring flashes of unstyled text, ensuring your brand feels premium and polished from the very first frame.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about font overrides and CLS.

Take control of your
fallback typography.

Launch Tool

A typography tool for global brands.

The bridge between design & code

Ingest

Visualize

Normalize

Perfect

Ship