One of the important decisions to make with the website redesign for fog of eternity was the right font to use. I needed something that was clear and accessible, very readable, and which worked well both capitalized and in lower case. I also wanted a font that had different weight options, and had a rounded style.
The problem with choosing a font is that there’s so many options. I have no issue with paying for the right font – even with so many free options out there, commercial fonts often have advantages. ImJustCreative has a great article on why commercial fonts can be a good option.
Although I spent a lot of time looking through MyFonts for good commercial options, I’ve actually ended up using a free font for the site. Unlike many free fonts, Eurofurence features an extensive character library beyond the basic characters, different weight options, and the visual impact I was looking for.
Amusingly, it’s only when looking up some more information on the font’s background that I discovered it shares a name with a European furry conference! The creator, Tobias Köhler, is apparently a “fur”. His other creation, Monofur, also highlights that community. Regardless, Eurofurence is a high quality font, one of the best free options I’ve encountered, and a great fit for the site.
sIFR for WordPress
I’ve utilized the excellent WP sIFR plugin to allow me to use the Eurofurence font more extensively through the site. While logos and the front page text uses image replacement, headings and sub-headings within page and sidebar content are dynamically created.
While we still await an effective and universal CSS option for using more than the basic web-friendly fonts, and despite some good alternatives, sIFR remains the best option for using a wider range of typefaces. It’s not the most user friendly option though, and a plugin like WP sIFR makes life much easier to incorporate it into the site.
A good font is going to be one of the most memorable aspects of any website, so it’s important to choose wisely. I’d advise any designer to spend time looking through both free and commercial options. Don’t be afraid of paying for the right font, but equally if you find a great free font, be happy to use that too!
