Drop caps are the large letter you see in handmade books from centuries ago.

They have been in use for thousands of years, as they increased readability and legibility by marking specific passages and guiding the reader's eye through the text.

They also are beautiful. So why aren't they more used throughout the web?

Their appearance on the screen is different from system to system and they can be a little tedious to be measured and put in – but I'll guide you through easy methods to make use of the drop caps whenever you want.

This P is Historiated, since it contains a picture of a specific person or story. And it's illuminated, since its gold decorations represent the light of God.

They were also used to portray the use of alphabetical order.

Today, with industrialization, drop caps aren't a reading necessity – they are only used as decorative elements, often to communicate old or traditional feelings.

There are four different methods to make a drop cap on...