Using custom fonts when developing for the web is tricky because not all computers will have all fonts installed, browsers may default to different styles, you have to make sure fonts can cleanly fall back in case of an error, and fonts may not work with all languages.
Nonetheless, it’s visually appealing to use custom typography when designing a website which should stand out. An easy way to implement custom fonts on a webpage is through Google Web Fonts, but the issue that arises is the very limited selection of web-safe fonts.
TypeKit is the solution – it’s a service by Adobe which lets you add a snippet of code to your website and choose from thousands of web-safe fonts to use. The fonts are downloaded to a visitor’s browser from Adobe’s servers on their first visit to the site; Adobe has optimized the fonts to work flawlessly on many various browsers and screen resolutions, even mobile. The fonts you’ll use are also available to use within other Adobe products, so you can maintain a consistent typographical identity across all of your marketing materials.
The subtle distinction that using non-standard typefaces on your website brings can be significant to standing out in your customer’s mind. It’s important to pay attention to typography because it can make or break your designs and your customer’s decisions.
