What’s All This About Web Typography?

It seems like everyone these days is talking about web typography. I don't blame them. With the now almost universal support for @font-face in every major browser (yes, even IE), we will now have access to one of the most sought-after features we've always wanted — the ability to use non-system fonts in our websites. No more will designers be limited to Georgia, Arial, Tahoma and those other system fonts.

But, as they say, when one problem is solved another steps up to take its place. In this case its licensing restrictions for some fonts. The problem in a nutshell: foundries make awesome fonts. They sell those fonts to us — designers — and in turn we use @font-face to put those fonts on web pages. But when we do that we often break the licensing rights that come along with those fonts since putting them on the web is just like distributing them. Just as you can download an image from the web, so to would you be able to download the font. Until those fonts can be protected, designers won't take the risk. Continue reading…