Font Line-Height Disparity on Mac and PC

The issue of font rendering and line-height discrepancies between Mac and PC systems can be a persistent headache for web designers. HTML and CSS provide limited control over line-height outside of elements, which can lead to misaligned content when using table-based layouts or working with specific fonts.

In the case presented, the coded design intended to align info widgets vertically in the middle of divs. However, on Mac systems, the text appears to be rendered outside of the element, throwing off the alignment. This behavior is particularly noticeable in the left-most "Conditions" section.

Troubleshooting Attempts

Several attempts have been made to rectify the issue, including:

• Setting line-heights on all elements
• Adjusting font weights
• Defining heights for all elements
• Combining height/padding-top on each element
• Utilizing different unit types (percentages, em, px) for padding

Despite these efforts, perfect alignment across both Mac and PC has proven elusive.

Potential Solutions

1. Utilize an Alternative Font: Switching to a different font, such as Arial, resolved the issue. This suggests that the font itself, rather than CSS, may be the root of the problem.
2. Address Font Vertical Metrics: Cutive, the font used in the design, may have differing vertical metrics between Mac and PC systems. Running the font through the Font Squirrel font-face generator and enabling the "Fix Vertical Metrics" option might mitigate this issue.
3. Abandon Table-Based Layout: Consider abandoning the display:table-cell; layout strategy. Instead, define specific heights and paddings for each element and its children. This may result in slightly different spacing between elements on the two operating systems.

Classification

Categorizing this issue is challenging. It falls under the intersection of:

• Line-height variations: Different font rendering engines interpret line-height differently, especially outside of elements.
• Table-based layouts: The display:table-cell; property can introduce subtle alignment differences between OSs.
• Font compatibility: Font metrics can differ between devices and operating systems, affecting vertical alignment.

Addressing this issue requires a combination of creative solutions and a thorough understanding of font rendering idiosyncrasies on both Mac and PC systems.