Overview
The Language field helps define how your email content is interpreted. It can also influence how fonts display when your email includes different character sets.
Fonts may not always render as expected across all languages. This is due to how email clients handle unsupported characters.
How Font Rendering Works
Character Support
Each font supports a specific set of characters.
If your selected font does not support certain characters:
Email clients replace those characters with a fallback font
The fallback font is usually a system default
This ensures your content remains readable.
Email Client Behavior
Email clients decide how fonts are rendered.
They may:
Detect the language from the
langattribute or contentCheck if your font supports the required characters
Override your font when support is missing
This behavior is common in clients like Outlook.
Mixed Character Sets
If your email includes multiple languages or character types:
Supported characters use your selected font
Unsupported characters switch to fallback fonts
This can result in multiple fonts appearing in the same email.
Why Fonts Change
Font changes happen to prevent display issues.
Without fallback behavior:
Characters may appear as blank boxes
Content may become unreadable
Fallback fonts ensure proper display across all devices and clients.
Use a Clear Font Stack
Create a font stack to improve font consistency across email clients.
For more details on adding fonts in Knak, see: Creating Fonts in Knak.
Steps
Create your font (build the font stack) Add a new font in Knak
Set your primary font (brand font)
Add fallback fonts in order of priority
Click Create
Add the font to your Font Kit
Assign your new font to a Font Kit
This makes it available in your templatesApply the font in your email
Select your Font Kit or font in the editor
Apply it to text styles across your emailTest across email clients
Preview your email in different clients
Check rendering for different languages
Best Practices for Consistent Fonts
Use Language-Compatible Fonts
Choose fonts that support your target language.
Examples:
Japanese → Noto Sans JP
Chinese → Noto Sans SC
Korean → Noto Sans KR
Arabic → Noto Sans Arabic
Test Across Languages and Clients
Rendering can vary.
Test emails in multiple email clients
Review all languages used in your campaign
Check both desktop and mobile
Tip: User our Email Testing feature to preview your email in multiple email clients:
Set the Correct Language
Set the correct language to improve accessibility and rendering accuracy.
Go to Email Settings in the editor
Find the Language field
Select the appropriate language from the dropdown
This ensures screen readers interpret your content correctly and helps email clients apply proper rendering rules.
Key Takeaways
Fonts may change when characters are not supported
Email clients control font fallback behavior
Mixed character sets can lead to multiple fonts
Strong font stacks improve consistency
Testing is essential for global emails
Need more help? Contact support via live chat using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.