Looks like the revolution in web typography will be here faster, than we all suspected. But will it be what people asked for?
Small Batch Inc. announced today Typekit – “The easiest way to use real fonts on your website”. From the scraps of information available today, we know, that Typekit is a platform working with type foundries, that delivers web-embeddable fonts on demand. It’s supposed to be launched this summer with free and paid plans.
With this new solution, new concerns emerge:
- why would we have to pay for fonts, that we already own? From this point of view, the new EULA, thats enables web-embedding is a definitely better answer for webdesigners (rather than typographers).
- why overcomplicate easy and obvious things? Instead of simple CSS definition linking external typeface, you’re forced to use JavaScript.
- will JavaScript take advantage of browser not supporting @font-face natively? (like typeface.js, or cufon)
- what will happen, when your Typekit subscription will expire, or this particular font will be removed from the library?
- website vulnerability – it’s external JavaScript for gods sake! Any global/local website modifications, visitor tracking, and data hijacking by anyone, who owns Typekit (takeover anyone?)
For now, we have to be patient and follow @typekit’s updates on Twitter, or wait for theirs newsletter.