Web based typography - an article

One of Shaun's favourite things to comment on is the availability of custom/"nice" fonts for use in future versions of web design. Obviously at this stage in time, we're not quite there in terms of having the ability to embed fonts within CSS. 

I returned to my new favourite site, the webdesignerwall and found this article on that exact topic. It details all the methods that have and can be used... for now. 

Personally, I think Flash have got it right in allowing you to embed the font file in the swf, however we all know that even Flash isn't always embedded in everybodys browsers! 

The idea (that is working it's way through dev stages) of having an online font folder that you would sort of link in a 'ahref' stylee in your CSS3 code when specifying a font is logical, it's natural (if technological coding can ever be referred to as natural?)

For now, image placeholders will just have to do.

UPDATE: Apparently not just image place holders will do. The Pro Advice section in .net lists such a topic and provides three possibilities for typography replacement methods. 

One that seems useful, but also importantly, is achievable for myself, is sIFR. However the thing that makes that seem a little limited is that if the user has no Flash then it no worky. 

Then, (and I feared I would actually need it at some point) there's PHP and Javascript versions - dynamic text replacement. 

...but I now don't love the convoluted method to get it to display!

On the whole though, it's now quite true. I'm now a big fan of character based visuals. The arrangement, the colours, the form of the fonts, the weight... so much choice and so much variation that can come from it. And that's only using our alphabet. Try Arabic. Or Japanese.

@

P.S. Whilst we're on the subject, I love this example of typography, the blurred effect makes it seem quite psychedelic (and yes, again, the colours attracted me!)