Jump to content

Safe fonts


daddyalfie

Recommended Posts

Not sure how appropriate this is to this particular forum genre, but here goes...

 

How creative with typography fonts can you be in web design?

 

There are oodles of fonts available from sources like "MS Word". But how do we know what is supported by current web browsers?

 

Any clues?

 

Thanks!

 

Alfie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The standard fonts you'll find on most computers is here:

 

http://www.ampsoft.net/webdesign-l/WindowsMacFonts.html

 

However, recent advancements in technology allow various types of font embedding, including Cufon, @font-face embedding, Typekit, etc.

 

overview: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/20/review-of-popular-web-font-embedding-services/

another overview: http://www.noupe.com/fonts/web-typography-font-embedding-services.html

free fonts for @font-face: http://www.fontsquirrel.com/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a list that is dated in 2008: Web Safe Font More about Web Safe Fonts

 

It's possible to supply fonts that are not web safe by using some script function in which you wound then require to upload the font to your server so that visitors can view the fonts they way you intended it to.

 

Beyond web safe font: Cufon

 

Google has started a new program that provides free fonts that are a bit more stylish than the normal web safe fonts. Google Font API

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are oodles of fonts available from sources like "MS Word". But how do we know what is supported by current web browsers?

 

Now you got yourself into a sticky wicket...

 

First to understand is Fonts are system specific and not browser specific, the browser does not care. Mac has base fonts and Windows has base fonts and some are the same and some not. I imaging the same goes for different flavors of Linux. So the issue is will my chosen font be available on my users OS.

 

Tech Break: For new members - you specify a Font for your web page and IF the OS has it the browser uses it. When it does not have it, the browser will choose a font on the user machine it THINKS is the same, but likely is not so the user can end up with some script font they can hardly read. So you always choose multiple fonts so if Tahoma is not there, it can try Garamond, and if not Garamond it can try Arial which is on just about every OS I believe. Anyways, you give it multiple choices so it will find at least one.

 

Back on subject, there is a font out there called "Georgia" that was developed for maximum readability on the web. It was supposed to become a standard every OS would have. Don't think that happened yet, but I usually use it as my primary, followed my other choices.

 

I am not fond of these font technologies, I have found them to barely work though I have not tried Cufon. One issue to consider is whether or not it can be changed by the user if you choose a font that those with vision issues may find hard to read, can it be over ridden?

 

Adobe Flex has the ability to include fonts in the movie package so that the app can use the font regardless of the users OS.

 

Just keep in mind every one that what you find readable may not be for people with disabilities or maybe no well versed in the language you use. Reading a language you barely understand in a script you can barely read is not fun. I am fluent in German, but can barely read Hitler's Mein Kampf due to the old style writing and fonts.

 

Careful not to sacrifice usability just to look different. In the ned if the user has trouble reading the site then the site fails regardless of how good it looks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...