The Best Tools for Web Typography

BY random IN Uncategorized, 27.11.2014

Typography is one of the most essential aspects of designing a website, and unless it’s done properly nobody is likely to hang around your page. One of the reasons why people get typography wrong is they fail to consider the fact that it’s a form of art. You need to choose the right typefaces, the size, as well as line spacing and line height. In addition you need to adjust the letter spacing as well as consider the type composition, colors and more.

Deciding what typeface to use can be difficult given the fact there are so many options available, but the following tools can help you out in aspects like sizing, creation, identification and testing among others.

FFFFALLBACK is a simple utility that ensures the integrity of your website typography. Basically what it does is scan the page’s CSS to identify fonts. With this application you can quickly find fallback fonts.

One of the most common problems that web designers face is figuring out the font used in a specific design. You may know what the font looks like, but what is its name? Typewolf will help you figure out just what those fonts are. This is one of programs that you’ll probably use on a consistent basis if you like to check out different fonts.

Typetester is an online program that allows you to compare fonts easily, which should make the job of a web designer easy. As you install more fonts in the system, the program keeps track, making it a breeze to compare fonts.

FontFriend is a program that allows for quick checking of font styles and fonts inside your browser without the need for code editing. Because you don’t need to refresh when using FontFriend, it’s the ideal companion when making CSS font stacks. Furthermore, the program supports drag and drop, very nice.

Tiff was developed specifically to help you distinguish the features of two fonts. This is a very useful program if you have a lot of similar looking fonts on your system and want to learn the difference between each one. Going through them individually will take time, but Tiff makes the process easy to deal with.

Typewonder is a free program that enables you to test a site with various kinds of fonts in real time. All you need to do is type the URL of the site you want to test, select the font and you’ll see what it looks like. Needless to say this is a very convenient application that you’ll be able to use in different ways.

This program enables you to preview, compare and go through web typography while it obtains CSS. The program’s interface is very clear so you’ll have no trouble figuring out how to use this application for your designs.

This is a unique program that maintains your brand name without using any complicated programs or methods. With Fontdeck you can use professional and web optimized typefaces as well as real text.

More and more websites and applications are now using Open Type fonts, and the time will come when you’ll probably need to use it. With Open Type Font Tester you’ll be able to examine up to 20 OpenType fonts with ease. There are several features on this application but it’s remarkably easy to use.

This is a tool that enables developers and designers to learn how to style and test their website. With CSSTypeSet you can adjust a font’s size, the line height, the spacing of each word, letter spacing, color and more. What’s great about CSSTypeSet is that it produces the CSS for you, and you see the changes as it happens. This is the kind of tool that you’ll need when experimenting with your website and looking for the right fonts to use.

Typecast is a browse-based program that renders types and CSS clearly. In addition, the application comes with several controls and options for managing and comparing fonts. You can also create project wide modifications in an instant due to CSS Styles.

Identifont is quite simply an online database with lots of fonts. You can search for fonts by name, by appearance, similarity etc. There is plenty of information provided on this site, so if you’re the type who likes to install a lot of fonts or just do research, this service will come in handy.

These are just some of the typography programs you can use on the web right now, and as you can see they cover just about every function you need. With these tools you will have no problems managing your fonts and getting your website to appear exactly as you want it to be.

P.S.: Happy Thanksgiving!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR