Back in December 2009, I wrote about the growing font embedding trend in web design. Now that font embedding has officially spread like wildfire, it's worth checking back in on this trend that's gone mainstream.
A few high-level considerations to keep in mind when evaluating which font embedding service to use:
- Pricing: scaling fee plans, monthly vs. annual subscription, price-per-font
- Fonts: quantity and quality offered vs. host your own
- Hosting: self-hosted vs. service-hosted, review restrictions
- Licensing: covered by service, or user-responsible
- Integration: fast loading, easy to implement, compatible
- Back-end: Easy to navigate, quick to edit, good UX
- Technology: javascript, css, flash, htm
Popular font embedding services:
- Typekit: 4,000+ fonts, affordable scaling fees, easy integration
- Google WebFonts: 23 fonts, free, light, easy, mobile
- Webfonts.Fonts.com: 7,500+ fonts, price-per-font, unlimited domains
- Kernest: 2,500+ fonts, mostly free, self-host, one fee
- Font-Face: reinventing their service
- Webtype: 365+ fonts, hosting options, font-per-site pricing
- Extensis WebInk: 2,000+ fonts, poor UI, four sites only
- Fontdeck: 400+ fonts, unlimited trial, cheap, no hosting options
- Fontslive: 180+ fonts, poor back-end, flex pricing
- Typotheque: 35+ fonts, unlimited domains, exclusive faces
- Typefront: Upload your own font, licensing, affordable, DIY
- Frontspring: 2,000+ fonts, no restrictions, self-host, one fee
There are plenty of people keeping tabs on font embeding besides us. Here are a few articles of note:
Give font embedding a try and let us know how it turns out.