
When software attempts to emulate an [italic](/glossary/italic) [style](/glossary/style), [bold](/glossary/bold) (or other) [weight](/glossary/weight), [ordinals](/glossary/ordinals), or [small caps](/glossary/small_caps) in lieu of actual [font files](/glossary/font) for those variants, they’re referred to as “faux,” “fake,” “pseudo,” or “synthesized” italics (or bolds, etc.).

<figure>

![The phrase “Spotting fakes is sometimes a little hard”, typed over three lines. On the left, “Spotting fakes” in true italics, “is sometimes” in bolds, and “a little hard” in small caps; on the right, the same in faux italics, faux bolds, and faux small caps.](images/thumbnail.svg)

<figcaption>
CAPTION: On the left, true italics, bolds, and small caps; on the right, faux italics, faux bolds, and faux small caps. Note how the faux italic has radically different forms, the faux bold appears too crowded, and the faux small caps are considerably lighter in weight.
</figcaption>

</figure>

Typically this occurs in graphic design software when the user is attempting to use a bold weight (etc.) but doesn’t have that font installed (or activated) on their machine; or on the web where a website is attempting to render a bold weight (etc.) but isn’t actually serving that [web font](/glossary/web_font) to end users.
