Web Fonts: A Whole New World
Posted by: Jocelyn Edin
In the last year (the last six months alone!), the world of web typography has evolved significantly. This is because most browsers are now supporting the direct delivery of fonts from a host computer via the latest version of Cascading Style Sheets, CSS3. Put simply, instead of choosing from the 10 default fonts used previously, there are now hundreds of choices and the list is expanding quickly! (image: @typekit)
Because we not only design and build the site, but first strategize and create the brand, we couldn't be more thrilled. For years, we've basically had to choose from two directions of web type for each client; serif (Times, Georgia) or sans serif (Arial, Helvetica, Verdana). The first being a bit more traditional, classic, the latter more modern and clean. These typefaces could be morphed in unique ways depending on their usage, context, and supporting imagery. But two families of type has always felt very limiting when trying to express the range of personalities our clients' brands offer.
There are many ways to achieve custom web fonts on your site, and they are continuously changing and expanding. There are free resources, such as FontSquirrel, Fontspring, and of course Google got in the game! These groups offer a good variety, but the libraries are still a bit limited (from a designer's perspective). To supplement the freebies and to get our hands on web fonts from the bigger foundries, Q started a subscription with Typekit this past fall. For an annual fee, you have access to their complete library of web-specific typefaces, and they are adding new and old fonts month after month. We're currently producing a handful of sites which will use custom typography throughout, providing an overall enhanced and specific experience for the user, whether they realize it or not! We definitely do.
Exciting times, stay tuned for the finished work!
