embedding fonts

[the idiot]

a freind was asking if it is okay to embed a font on a website he was
doing...
i told him i didnt think it was right to do that but that i had no idea why.

is it wrong / ok?

and why?
thank you

 

[Adrienne]

a freind was asking if it is okay to embed a font on a website he was
doing...
i told him i didnt think it was right to do that but that i had no idea
why.

is it wrong / ok?

and why?
thank you

If the user has the font on their system, then they will see that font.
Embedding fonts in web pages works for some browsers some of the time. If
the font is essential, like a logo, then a graphic should be used.

To be honest, if font embedding actually worked, I would not be happy. I
already have 2000 fonts on my system, about 200 of those are actually
installed. If every web site I visited suddenly started installing
different fonts on my system, my system would soon grind to a halt.

 

[the idiot]

If the user has the font on their system, then they will see that font.
Embedding fonts in web pages works for some browsers some of the time. If
the font is essential, like a logo, then a graphic should be used.

To be honest, if font embedding actually worked, I would not be happy. I
already have 2000 fonts on my system, about 200 of those are actually
installed. If every web site I visited suddenly started installing
different fonts on my system, my system would soon grind to a halt.

--

ooh i didnt know that an embedded font would install itself on the viewers
comp...
from what i know i dont think it is for a logo - the client just wants the
font he likes to be seen by everybody...

what would be the best argument for my friend to dissuade his client?
that it doesnt always work?

 

[jake]

a freind was asking if it is okay to embed a font on a website he was
doing...
i told him i didnt think it was right to do that but that i had no idea why.

is it wrong / ok?

and why?
thank you

Font embedding is just fine, although usually reserved these days for IE
users only -- although that's probably 85-90% of your audience. Non-IE
users get to see an alternative font or their own default.

<http://www.microsoft.com/typography/web/embedding/weft3/default.htm>

WEFT will not create the appropriate .eot file if the font does not
allow embedding.

regards.

 

[jake]

If the user has the font on their system, then they will see that font.
Embedding fonts in web pages works for some browsers some of the time.

No. It works for (PC) IE users all of the time -- assuming you haven't
got font downloading switched off.

If
the font is essential, like a logo, then a graphic should be used.

Graphical text can't be enlarged, and a selective font download can be
smaller than a graphic.

To be honest, if font embedding actually worked, I would not be happy.

I guess you're not happy, then ;-)

I
already have 2000 fonts on my system, about 200 of those are actually
installed. If every web site I visited suddenly started installing
different fonts on my system, my system would soon grind to a halt.

Uhh .. no. The downloaded font exists only temporarily -- just like an
image.

regards..

 

[the idiot]

Font embedding is just fine, although usually reserved these days for IE
users only -- although that's probably 85-90% of your audience. Non-IE
users get to see an alternative font or their own default.

<http://www.microsoft.com/typography/web/embedding/weft3/default.htm>

WEFT will not create the appropriate .eot file if the font does not
allow embedding.

regards.
--

cheers all... i will pass the information on..

 

[Adrienne]

No. It works for (PC) IE users all of the time -- assuming you haven't
got font downloading switched off.


Graphical text can't be enlarged, and a selective font download can be
smaller than a graphic.

I guess you're not happy, then ;-)

Uhh .. no. The downloaded font exists only temporarily -- just like an
image.

regards..

Then I stand corrected.

 

[Toby Inkster]

No. It works for (PC) IE users all of the time -- assuming you haven't
got font downloading switched off.

And assuming you chose to install that IE component at all.

 

[jake]

And assuming you chose to install that IE component at all.

We do seem to have this conversation regularly, don't we ;-)

I think the answer is 'unless you go out of your way not to allow your
browser to do so'.

BTW. Have you ever seen an 'out-of-the' box PC that didn't have an IE
capable of downloading fonts?

regards

 

[Toby Inkster]

BTW. Have you ever seen an 'out-of-the' box PC that didn't have an IE
capable of downloading fonts?

I don't know anybody who uses "out-of-the-box PCs".

 

[Travis Newbury]

I don't know anybody who uses "out-of-the-box PCs".

Anecdotal data is always meaningless.

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

No. It works for (PC) IE users all of the time -- assuming you haven't
got font downloading switched off.

So, as Adrienne said, it works for *some browsers some of the time*.
Even your own statement says that it doesn't work for IE all of the
time.

 

[jake]

So, as Adrienne said, it works for *some browsers some of the time*.
Even your own statement says that it doesn't work for IE all of the
time.

Font embedding works in IE all of the time unless you have disabled it
-- in the same way that image downloading in IE works all the time
unless you have disabled it -- or printing of backgrounds in IE works
all the time unless you disable it, or ...........

And your point is ... ?

 

[Hywel Jenkins]

Font embedding works in IE all of the time unless you have disabled it
-- in the same way that image downloading in IE works all the time
unless you have disabled it -- or printing of backgrounds in IE works
all the time unless you disable it, or ...........

And your point is ... ?

My point is that what Adrienne said is exactly correct and, although
your first sentence ("No.") disagrees, the rest of what you say confirms
what she said. "all the time *unless you have disabled it*". That's
not "all the time" is it?

Get my point now? It's not rocket science so, please, try to keep up.

 

[jake]

My point is that what Adrienne said is exactly correct and, although
your first sentence ("No.") disagrees, the rest of what you say confirms
what she said. "all the time *unless you have disabled it*". That's
not "all the time" is it?

Get my point now? It's not rocket science so, please, try to keep up.

Let's try this again (and don't worry, I'll type slowly..)

I interpreted Adrienne's statement as meaning that font embedding is
unreliable ... a reasonable interpretation strengthened by the
statement:

"To be honest, if font embedding actually worked ........"

So. As I see it, my comments are completely accurate.

"Font embedding works in IE on a PC all the time unless the facility is
disabled".

I can't make it any simpler than that.

regards.

 

[Adrienne]

I interpreted Adrienne's statement as meaning that font embedding is
unreliable ... a reasonable interpretation strengthened by the
statement:

"To be honest, if font embedding actually worked ........"

So. As I see it, my comments are completely accurate.

"Font embedding works in IE on a PC all the time unless the facility is
disabled".

For the IE on the PC user who has it enabled, yes, it works. For you the
author, who does not know what is on a visitor's system without browser
sniffing (the browser can lie and with js disabled, even less information
is available), it works for _some_ of your visitors _some_ of the time.