Typefaces

Govt.nz uses the font Fira Sans because it:

• is easy to read
• is not too formal
• matches the tone of the content
• is open source, and
• has good browser support — that is, it displays well in most browsers.

Font stack

The Govt.nz font stack lists all the fonts that are used, including those for people who cannot use Fira Sans. They all have universal browser support and are listed in the order they will appear. These alternative fonts provide a similar experience to Fira Sans.

They are:

• Fira Sans
• Helvetica
• Arial
• Sans serif.

Text sizes and spacing

Govt.nz uses the following styles, sizes and spacing for headings and paragraphs.

Spacing

Govt.nz uses multiples of 6 pixels (px) to create consistent spacing. Usually a gap between a heading and paragraph is 36px.

Line height

Govt.nz uses a line height of 1.43 times the font size. Generous line height increases white space, making the page easier to read.

Links

Links are designed to be accessible and helpful to users. This includes:

• being able to use them without relying solely on their colour
• changing the colour of visited links
• underlining link text that appears in body copy so that people can scan and see them
• showing an underline when you hover over navigation links
• identifying links to external websites.

For people using a keyboard rather than a mouse to navigate, Govt.nz:

• gives links a clearly visible ‘focus’ so users know where they are on a page
• lets people tab between links
• makes sure links can be activated with the ‘enter’ key.

Govt.nz also defines how to select, name and style links.

Links