[thelist] Downloadable fonts : good idea ?

[Vic Wooten]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Androse Rosewood" <auguste at mac.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 9:09 AM
Subject: [thelist] Downloadable fonts : good idea ?


> Hello,
>
> I remember a few years ago (when the 4.5 browsers came out I belive),
> downloadable fonts seemed to be a very promising feature.

Embedded fonts.

http://www.microsoft.com/OpenType/web/embedding/weft3/expert.htm

http://www.truedoc.com/webpages/intro/

> - font copyright problems.

Possibly, but I believe most copyrighted special fonts have some sort of
code built into the font that both the Bitstream, and Weft software
recognize....I don't think either software will let you use those
copyrighted fonts.

> But what about it today ?
> Very little people have browser versions previous to 4.5, I now feel
> comfortable  sniffing the user agent to fork between IE and NS, and
> bandwidth issues are not as bad as they used to be.
>
> So why aren't people using this feature more often ?

Personally (no offense intended!), I wouldn't care to build double page sets
(with browser sniffers!) just so I could use cutsie fonts on my sites.
Standard system fonts for me, otherwise, I might do some graphics for the
cutsie fonts.

> Does somebody have any information regarding the licencing fees for
> downloadable fonts ?

I would imagine you'd have to go straight to the creator of the font for
this info.

Vic