Update April 19, 2012 | With the gains in popularity of webfonts across the web, FontShop is glad to now offer webfonts from more foundries. Take a look at the updated Webfonts page for the latest and most popular fonts for the web.
Or if you see the above Type filter when browsing a foundry’s library, specify ‘Web’ to display only that foundry’s webfonts. See a list of the latest foundries to carry webfonts on our site, and note that the list is growing.
For nearly 15 years, web designers had two frustrating choices when it came to type on the web: use one of the few “web safe” fonts preinstalled on major operating systems, or substitute text with images and Flash/JavaScript® hacks. Not anymore. Recent developments in web standards (using the @font-face CSS declaration) and font formats make it possible to render HTML text in typefaces other than the same old default fonts. Today, FSI FontShop International is leading the charge to offer fonts designed specifically for web use. More than 30 of the most successful FontFont families are now available as Web FontFonts, including FF DIN, FF Meta, FF Dax, and FF Kievit.
This long-awaited step enables a more seamless and effective transition from print design to the web. An organization whose identity uses FF DIN, for example, can now deliver that experience on the web, using true HTML text.
Dynamic
Any web developer will tell you that HTML text is far more flexible and easier to update than an image. Using Web FontFonts gives you type that is both customized and dynamic.
Searchable
Search engines don’t like images nearly as much as text. Now all the branded typography on a page can be found and indexed. Text is also more accessible to users with disabilities.
Editable
Because HTML text can be resized, copied, and edited by website visitors, you can create stylized interfaces, forms, and applications without relying on Flash or other hacks.
Why Webfonts?
- They look great.
Great care was taken to optimize Web FontFonts for display on nearly any screen, whether that screen is connected to a Mac or driven by Windows with ClearType switched on. - They are easy to buy.
Buying a Web FontFont is as easy as licensing a conventional desktop font. There is no subscription to sign up for and you pay only for the font you need. Pricing is determined not by domain or bandwidth, but by the average monthly pageviews for all websites in the licensed organization. - They work on all modern browsers.
Web FontFonts are delivered in WOFF and EOT Lite, the two formats supported by the most commonly used browsers: Internet Explorer®, Firefox®, Chrome®, and Safari®. With FontFont’s Web FontFonts, a free Typekit hosting option extends compatibility to older browsers, in addition to most mobile devices. Certain limitations apply to this Free Trial account, see Typekit Plans for details.
*Note that though we now carry non-FontFont webfonts (see the update at the top of the post) Typekit hosting presently applies only to Web FontFonts. All other webfonts are licensed for self-hosting only. - No DRM.
Because webfonts are essentially shared with everyone who visits a webpage that uses them, some font makers may want to use some sort of DRM to prevent unauthorized use. Not us. Web FontFonts come in formats that work only on websites (not in any desktop app), and do so without crippleware or user interruptions. - They speak more languages.
The FontFont library has always offered top class language support, extending many of the most popular families to include character sets like Central European, Cyrillic, and Greek. Web FontFonts are no exception. The Pro versions contain the same language support as their desktop companions.
Download the Web FontFont User Guide (229K PDF).
