Sep 08
Embedded web fonts return
During the past days I have been working on a web application’s UI and I needed some rounded corners for different content boxes. In order to achieve that I needed some CSS level 3 instructions. Looking around that, I stumbled upon something that will make a major difference in future web browsers, and future web design (as to what the user interface and website aspect is concerned). I am reffering to embedded web fonts. Yes, embedded web fonts are back. Looking for further details I’ve found an ALA article regarding this issue, posted more than one year ago (don’t know how I missed that). The paragraphs regarding embedded web fonts are somowhere down the article, but you should check it to it’s entireness.
You can check Typographica to learn why this feature could also mean a hideous web, not a better and improved one. Unfortunately, once this goes into all browsers, and will be used by many programmers, we will eventually see some kitsch choices. I guess we will have to live with them.
In order to use the embedded web fonts feature, you will need @font-face instruction included in CSS level 3. The way you should use it is quite simple.
@font-face { <font-description> }
The above <font-description> stands for
descriptor: value;
descriptor: value;
[…]
descriptor: value;
descriptor: value;
descriptor: value;
Unfortunately, there some issues regarding the embedded fonts. Just like you cannot place in your website any picture, you cannot embed in your website any font you would like to use. Typographica’s John Gruber sais: “The fonts you’re allowed to embed legally aren’t worth using; the fonts that are worth using aren’t embeddable.”
Don’t panic just yet, because there’s this list of embedded web fonts you can use for free. Now, it is up to you if you improve your creations or not.
Cheers!
