webfont

Downloaded display lettering

A webfont is a font file hosted online and loaded by a webpage, allowing text to display in typefaces not installed on the user's device.

Before webfonts, designers were limited to a handful of "web-safe" fonts like Arial and Times New Roman.

Now sites routinely specify custom typography: The site uses Google's webfonts for its headers.

typography

typeface

Lettering style design

glyphsCarved symbolic figures
serifLetter terminal flourish
sans-serifType without terminal strokes

kerning · leading · tracking · baseline · x-height · ascender · descender · ligature · italic · bold

technical

embed

Fix within surrounding material

CSSWeb presentation language
renderingInterpretive depiction or performance
antialiasingEdge-smoothing rendering technique

hinting · subset · fallback · preload · swap · block · auto · browser · compatibility · bandwidth

readability

legibility

Clearness of text

clarityState of being understandable
contrastNotable difference between things
screenDisplay or barrier

resolution · pixels · responsive · fluid · accessible · paragraph

services

CDN

Distributed web delivery infrastructure

APISoftware communication standard
hostedPresided over an event
licenseFormal grant of permission

open-source · subscription

Opposites

font installation/delivery method

webfontArial

Sans-serif screen typeface

Times New Roman · Verdana · Georgia

Family

web, font, webs, webbed, webbing, fonts, typography

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G