The @font-face rule and CUFON
The CSS Fonts Module Level 3 - W3C Working Draft was released June 18, 2009.
This CSS3 module describes how font properties are specified and how font resources are loaded dynamically.
Section 4.1 "The @font-face rule" defines the rule this way: "The @font-face rule allows for linking to fonts that are automatically activated when needed. This permits authors to work around the limitation of 'web-safe' fonts, allowing for consistent rendering independent of the fonts available in a given user's environment. A set of font descriptors define the location of a font resource, either locally or externally, and the style characteristics of an individual face. Multiple @font-face rules can be used to construct font families with a variety of faces. Using CSS font matching rules, a user agent can selectively download only those faces that are needed for a given piece of text.
And the general form of an @font-face at-rule, as we know already, is:
@font-face {
font-family: Gentium;
src: url(http://site/fonts/Gentium.ttf);
}
And would be used when rendering text within paragraph elements like this:
p { font-family: Gentium, serif; }
Our concerns about licensing was finally addressed in Appendix B:
Font licensing issues.
"The use of fonts on the web is often surrounded in controversy. Font designers expend huge amounts of effort to create their designs, painstakingly refining letterforms and tuning font data to assure that the letterforms appear as desired both in print and on the screen. As a result they often license their fonts very carefully, often with somewhat complex terms. Authors who want to use specific fonts via a downloadable font mechanism must always carefully verify that their intended use is within the scope of the font license. Many commercial fonts presently do not allow web downloading of their fonts in any form. Font formats often store references to the font license within the font data itself. When in doubt, it's best to verify with the font designer directly. Vendors that bundle fonts with their products are also strongly encouraged to carefully explain the license details that covers the fonts they bundle."
We will be releasing a tool on July 1, 2009 that allows users to create custom fonts for their pages for use with @font-face and CUFON.
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