I heard that Typekit is now sending out invitations, so I signed up for a trial account. I’m behind the curve as usual, and I’m still not sure when I’m going to get to really test it out, but I’m very interested in the concept.
As you already know if you saw my recent post on the Sun-Times buyout, my work background is in the graphic arts, specifically pre-press production, and originally typography. I have also had a web page, website, and/or blog online since 1995 and on one of my own domains since 1999. So you can see I’ve been gritting my teeth about not having more say over typography on the web for a very long time.
Typekit is a service that hosts a library of web-licensed high-quality fonts. Theoretically, it should allow your pages to display using the typography you intended. I am looking forward to seeing if this is the reality as well.
While HTML5 and CSS3 offer better type handling features than past versions, there is still the issue of older browsers and older operating systems. Boing Boing’s recent redesign looked fine to anyone using a current browser on Windows Vista or Mac OS X, but not so good to those using older versions of browsers, or older operating systems such as Windows XP which are still in very wide use.
I’m still hopeful and interested in Typekit and other solutions to getting real typography on the web, including Font Squirrel’s free @font-face kits. I use paid-for fonts more often than free fonts, largely due to quality issues, but I am not against free when that free is also of good quality and more important, not stolen. So I do want to check it out.
I hope to have some time to play with fonts after Axel leaves on his road trip and before it’s time to start preparing for vacation. You’ll hear from me again about the joy of fonts then!
(NaBloPoMo | October ’09:20 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 242 of 274)
Jennifer says
Remember Charlie Brown’s teacher? Wha-whaaa-wha-wha–wha-whaaa… Wow, I think you’re way smarter than I am! I think I understand. 🙂
BTW – Pay it forward is shipping today. It took me a couple days longer than expected.
Have a great mingle Thursday!
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..Finding beauty somehwere =-.
kathi says
Freya wants me to post about pay it forward because she loved her surprise treat 🙂 so I will do that later this evening! Thank you!
Bev says
Interesting entry. I love fonts, but only use a small number of them…and hate it when I choose something that can’t be universally viewed, especially when designing a web page for someone else.
.-= Bev´s last blog ..Things You Can’t Live Without =-.
Bev says
(** mingling ** by the way!)
.-= Bev´s last blog ..Things You Can’t Live Without =-.