| Jun 01 |
 Stumble it! |  Digg it! |
Recently I’ve been quite excited about a module created by Mike Davidson and Mark Wubben.
Most experienced web designers realise that font selection is perhaps the greatest deciding factor in the success of any given design. CSS has given us the ability to modify existing fonts significantly. Unfortunately, we’re still limited to a small number of browser safe fonts.
The sIFR typography module uses flash actionscripts and javascript to replace existing fonts with rich typography. It’s an incredibly powerful tool. Most importantly it’s free.
How does it work?
sIFR downloads flash .swf files containing a custom font that is then held in the browser cache. This means you can effectively patch your user’s browser with a new font that doesn’t exist in their computer’s font library. Crucially sIFR can handle dynamic content since the .swf is a font library, rather than a simple static flash movie.
Degradation/Compatibility
sIFR degrades gracefully into default CSS fonts should you have your Javascript of flash disabled. It’s also fully accessible to screenreaders and other assistive technology. Matt May from the W3C has endorsed it as an accessible method to create rich typography on the web.
In terms of compatibility, sIFR works on Firfox, IE5+, Opera 7+, Safari and many other browsers. 90% of machines are said to be compatible (and that’s today). On non-compatible machines the module simply does not take effect.
Limitations
I’ve found there to be some minor speed issues. It’s advisable only to use the module on small headlines etc rather than whole paragraphs. Loading speeds are excellent though if used properly, and are invisible to the user.
Overall impression
I love this module. I will be using it in many of my future websites. It’s important though to remember that small proportion of people who can’t run the module, and make sure that the default CSS styles are also up to today’s high standards.
I think that sIFR is an excellent stop-gap measure. It’s badly needed as designer’s grapple with current font limitations. In the long-term however, browsers will have to find a way to support rich typography ranges. You can learn about the tool by visiting their website.
Popularity: 6% [?]
