Print this page. Recommend
Slashdot it! Delicious Share on Facebook Tweet! Digg

Firefox 3.6 Learns WOFF

Oct 23, 2009

Mozilla has made itself into the draft horse for a new font format for the Web that some of its developers and independent font designers are currently hatching. Firefox 3.6 should be the first to support the new Web Open Font Format (WOFF).

The new Web Open Font Format (.woff) should repackage the existing TrueType (.ttf) and OpenType (.otf) font formats. Two things benefit from it: compatibility with the existing formats and metadata whereby a font designer can communicate to the world about the font's usage. A few font designers have already announced that they're jumping aboard WOFF. A discussion participant already lists Adobe among the supporting foundries, although Mozilla itself does not yet include the font veteran on their list.

The proposal for the new format came from font designers Erik van Blokland and Tal Leming beginning of July on their w3.org mailing list. Mozilla developers have since chimed in. Together with the aforementioned, Jonathan Kew drafted the first WOFF design specification and John Daggett describes the new format in a Mozilla hacks blog.

Kew and Daggett also present the realm of possibilities due in Firefox 3.7 for the new font format.

(Anika Kehrer)

Comments


Print this page. Recommend
Slashdot it! Delicious Share on Facebook Tweet! Digg
Related Articles
Mozilla Lets Companies Build Their Own Firefox Browsers
Mozilla Responds to the EULA Controversy
Mozilla Developers Remove Critical Bugs
Mozilla Resolves EULA Dispute
Quo Vadis, Mozilla?: 3-Point Plan for World Domination
Fresh Roadmap for Firefox
Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Stop by Rikki's Open Source Exchange for dispatches from the world of women in open source.

Rikki Kite examines the experience of women across the spectrum of open source –
the people, projects, organizations, events, articles, issues, and news.

more...

 

In the US and Canada, Linux Magazine is known as Linux Pro Magazine.
Entire contents © 2009 [Linux New Media USA, LLC]
Linux New Media web sites:
North America: [Linux Pro Magazine]
UK/Worldwide: [Linux Magazine]
Germany: [Linux-Magazin] [LinuxUser] [EasyLinux] [Linux-Community] [Linux Technical Review]
Eastern Europe: [Linux Magazine Poland] [Linux Community Poland] [Open Source DVD Poland]
International: [Linux Magazine Brazil] [EasyLinux Brazil] [Linux Magazine Spanish]
Corporate: [Linux New Media AG]