Lively discussions on the graphic arts and publishing — in print or on the web

ktinkel · 02-27-2010, 02:05 PM

Font Shop, Typotheque, and others have released WOFF-standard web fonts for license to end users. These are fonts that are served to web visitors, either from the site itself or from the font developer, and they work with Firefox 3.6 and other Mozilla products (not sure about other browsers).

A thread on Typophile discusses the licensing and price of FontFonts, the FontShop offerings. The same thread includes quotes from Typotheque’s licensing system.

More links:

Ars Technica: “Web OpenFont Format Backed by Mozilla, type foundries”
Blue Alien Web Design: Free downloadable WOFF font
FontShop Blog: “About Web FontFonts”
Typotheque: “Bringing Fine Typography to the Web”

I have reservations about the whole idea. As a web user who normally blocks scripting, Flash, etc. (or requires that I give permission before it works), the interactive nature of these fonts makes me wary. What technical problems will arise — speed issues, maybe?

The fonts won’t be useful until all browsers know what to do with @font-face. Have not seen an estimate of when that may be. Cost is another issues, as the Typophile thread discusses.

On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how these work in real life.

What do you all think?

02-27-2010, 02:05 PM	#1
ktinkel Founding Sysop Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: In Connecticut, on the Housatonic River near its mouth at Long Island Sound. Posts: 11,187	Web fonts in real life Font Shop, Typotheque, and others have released WOFF-standard web fonts for license to end users. These are fonts that are served to web visitors, either from the site itself or from the font developer, and they work with Firefox 3.6 and other Mozilla products (not sure about other browsers). A thread on Typophile discusses the licensing and price of FontFonts, the FontShop offerings. The same thread includes quotes from Typotheque’s licensing system. More links: Ars Technica: “Web OpenFont Format Backed by Mozilla, type foundries” Blue Alien Web Design: Free downloadable WOFF font FontShop Blog: “About Web FontFonts” Typotheque: “Bringing Fine Typography to the Web” I have reservations about the whole idea. As a web user who normally blocks scripting, Flash, etc. (or requires that I give permission before it works), the interactive nature of these fonts makes me wary. What technical problems will arise — speed issues, maybe? The fonts won’t be useful until all browsers know what to do with @font-face. Have not seen an estimate of when that may be. Cost is another issues, as the Typophile thread discusses. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how these work in real life. What do you all think? __________________ [SIZE=2][COLOR=LemonChiffon]::[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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