Over the last couple of years, software makers like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Adobe and Mozilla proposed new font formats supporting multi-color bitmap and vector glyphs. These formats are now standardized as part of the OpenType specifications and they are already widely supported in browsers and graphic design applications. This course explains these formats, their usage, and discusses the pros and cons.
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Academy: Typography.Guru online courses:
How to use color fontsPrimary lesson type:
ArticleReading time:
10 minStudents who completed this class:
378Academy Lessons:
A: Backstory—The long way to color fonts
Why “movable type” is usually limited to one color and why there was a sudden interest to develop multiple color font formats.
B: The Bitmap-only formats SBIX and CBDT/CBLC
A modern font format just consisting of bitmap images? This article discusses the purpose and the limitations.
C: How to use COLR/CPAL fonts on the web
The COLR/CPAL format is an ideal color font format for web use. This article explains how to use it.
D: Using OpenType SVG fonts
OpenType SVG is the most versatile color font option and is supported by more and more desktop apps. This article explains the format.
