Where to Find Web Fonts

You have two options for using Web fonts in a Web site: self-hosting and Web font services. Both are perfectly valid options; however, they are quite different, with their own pros and cons to consider. As you weigh these pros and cons, you will also find that not all Web fonts are available everywhere. You may find that even though you want to go with self-hosting, the font you need is only available from a Web font service. This may require finding a close substitute or rethinking your approach. It pays to be flexible and to weigh all your options before you commit to a direction.

Self-hosting

Self-hosting a Web font is the more traditional approach and the one that we will cover in the step-by-step portion of this chapter. The fonts are served up from your own server, much like any other asset (such as an image or a CSS file). If there’s a cost associated with the font, it’s usually a one-time purchase, and it’s up to you to upload the font files and include the code on your site.