Monotype Imaging Launches Public Beta of Fonts.com Web Fonts – May 4, 2010
New Solution to Offer Thousands of Fonts for the Web including the Iconic Helvetica and Frutiger Designs
WOBURN, Mass. & SAN FRANCISCO, May 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) – MMonotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading global provider of text imaging solutions, today launched the public beta of Fonts.com Web Fonts, the company’s new Web font solution on webfonts.fonts.com. The cloud-based service allows Web page designers, content creators, brand holders and others to access a wide range of fonts for designing Web communications, such as branded sites, blogs, Web content and advertising, as well as personal sites, postings and other materials created for online consumption.
Highlights of Monotype Imaging’s Fonts.com Web Fonts solution:
The public beta debuts with more than 2,000 high-quality fonts and is intended to grow to approximately 7,000 prior to the solution’s commercial launch, providing Web developers and content creators access to the world’s largest selection of Web fonts. When launched commercially, the service will also include some of the best selling and widely used typefaces of all time, including the Helvetica, Frutiger and Univers typefaces, commonly used in brand identities and exclusive to Monotype Imaging’s Web collection.
“Type is now center stage in the evolution of the World Wide Web,” said Doug Shaw, president and chief executive officer of Monotype Imaging. “Our new service introduces an unprecedented selection of some of the world’s most in-demand typefaces. As we enter our public beta phase, we’re now able to welcome feedback and involve customers across the globe to bring forward a world class solution.”
In addition to expanding typographic creative freedom, Monotype Imaging’s new service enables brand holders and design agencies to deploy branded content and advertising using a Web font solution that supports more than 40 languages, which cover the majority of languages used on the Internet. A wide range of world language typefaces are available, including fonts that support major Asian languages that contain thousands of characters. New patent-pending Web technology from Monotype Imaging is used to speed the delivery of languages that contain large character sets, such as Chinese and Japanese.
“Web fonts dramatically improve how text is handled on the Web,” said Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. “Design is transformed whether you’re a Web page designer or an individual seeking to easily and affordably stylize Web sites and blogs with type.” Before Web fonts, designers traditionally faced a frustrating trade-off, according to Haley. “They could design with only a handful of system fonts that reside on most computers. Alternatively, designers could use any fonts, as long as they were embedded in graphics. However, text is more difficult to edit and is not searchable, scalable or selectable when embedded in graphics,” he said.
Web sites are also able to facilitate a more functional user experience using Web fonts. For example, search engine optimization can be improved because unlike text embedded in graphics, Web fonts enable text to be search engine discoverable. Jill Whalen, search engine optimization expert and chief executive officer of Boston SEO agency High Rankings, said, “We advise our clients to always try to use text instead of images to display important headlines and navigation, as search engines don’t recognize text contained in images. Fonts.com Web Fonts clearly supports this SEO strategy and is a great new tool for SEO experts and their clients.”
Sites designed with Web fonts also provide flexibility to more readily meet accessibility standards for the visually impaired. “Web accessibility is an increasingly important usability requirement for our customers,” said Lynn Pausic, Web usability expert and founder and president of Expero, Inc., a user experience solutions company. “Many of the tools that people with disabilities use to understand and navigate Web sites depend on the presence of machine readable text. When text is presented in images, these tools often fail. Fonts.com Web Fonts enables Web designers to achieve accessibility requirements without compromising design objectives.”
Hosted on a cloud-based, global distribution network of servers, Monotype Imaging’s Web font solution downloads fonts dynamically to Internet browsers, resulting in fonts that are displayed on connected client machines. The service complies with W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) specifications for deploying server-based fonts and supports all major Internet browsers, including the Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Mozilla® Firefox®, Apple® Safari®, Google Chrome™ and Opera™ platforms.
In addition to a fee-based subscription model, an entry level tier with access to more than 2,000 fonts will be offered at the conclusion of the public beta with no payment required, when Fonts.com Web Fonts launches commercially. At that time, beta participants will have the option to upgrade to a higher tier or continue at the free level. Further information on the subscription model will become available at the commercial launch, which is targeted for later in 2010.
Web developers, content creators and others worldwide may request an invitation to join the public beta and gain free access to the solution by visiting webfonts.fonts.com, or by following the Web fonts link from the homepage of Fonts.com.
About Monotype Imaging
Monotype Imaging is a global provider of text imaging solutions for manufacturers and developers of consumer electronics devices including laser printers, copiers, mobile phones, digital televisions, set-top boxes, navigation devices, digital cameras and software applications and operating systems. The company also provides printer drivers, color imaging technologies and embedded graphical user interface solutions to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Monotype Imaging technologies are combined with access to more than 13,000 typefaces from the Monotype®, Linotype® and ITC® typeface libraries - home to some of the world’s most widely used designs, including the Times New Roman®, Helvetica and ITC Franklin Gothic™ typefaces. Fonts are licensed to creative and business professionals through custom font design services, direct sales or e-commerce portals. Monotype Imaging offers fonts and industry-standard solutions that support all of the world’s major languages. The company is based in Woburn, Mass., with regional offices in the U.K., Germany (Linotype), Japan, China and Korea, in addition to U.S. regional offices in Mt. Prospect, Ill., Redwood City, Calif. and Boulder, Colo. Information about Monotype Imaging and its products can be found at monotypeimaging.com.
Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Times New Roman is a trademark of The Monotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Linotype is a trademark of Linotype GmbH registered in the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Helvetica, Frutiger and Univers are trademarks of Linotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions in the name of Linotype Corp. or its licensee Linotype GmbH. ITC is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. ITC Franklin Gothic is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Microsoft and Internet Explorer are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mozilla and Firefox are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. Apple and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Chrome is a trademark of Google Inc. Opera is a trademark of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.
About Linotype
Linotype GmbH, based in Bad Homburg, Germany and a wholly owned subsidiary of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., looks back onto a history of more than 120 years. Building on its strong heritage, Linotype develops state-of-the-art font technology and offers more than 12,000 typefaces, covering the whole typographic spectrum from antique to modern, from east to west, and from classical to experimental. All typefaces (in PostScript® and TrueType® format as well as more than 7,000 fonts in the OpenType format) are also available for instant download at www.linotype.com. In addition to digital fonts, Linotype offers comprehensive and individual consultation and support services for applications in worldwide (corporate) communication.
WOBURN, Mass. & SAN FRANCISCO, May 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) – MMonotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading global provider of text imaging solutions, today launched the public beta of Fonts.com Web Fonts, the company’s new Web font solution on webfonts.fonts.com. The cloud-based service allows Web page designers, content creators, brand holders and others to access a wide range of fonts for designing Web communications, such as branded sites, blogs, Web content and advertising, as well as personal sites, postings and other materials created for online consumption.
Highlights of Monotype Imaging’s Fonts.com Web Fonts solution:
- Over 2,000 high-quality fonts available now for free public beta
- Approximately 7,000 fonts expected by commercial launch later in 2010
- Helvetica®, Frutiger® and Univers® typefaces among several popular designs, available for the first time as Web fonts
- More than 40 languages supported using patent-pending Monotype Imaging technology
- Subscription-based solution to include a free, entry-level tier with ability to use more than 2,000 fonts
The public beta debuts with more than 2,000 high-quality fonts and is intended to grow to approximately 7,000 prior to the solution’s commercial launch, providing Web developers and content creators access to the world’s largest selection of Web fonts. When launched commercially, the service will also include some of the best selling and widely used typefaces of all time, including the Helvetica, Frutiger and Univers typefaces, commonly used in brand identities and exclusive to Monotype Imaging’s Web collection.
“Type is now center stage in the evolution of the World Wide Web,” said Doug Shaw, president and chief executive officer of Monotype Imaging. “Our new service introduces an unprecedented selection of some of the world’s most in-demand typefaces. As we enter our public beta phase, we’re now able to welcome feedback and involve customers across the globe to bring forward a world class solution.”
In addition to expanding typographic creative freedom, Monotype Imaging’s new service enables brand holders and design agencies to deploy branded content and advertising using a Web font solution that supports more than 40 languages, which cover the majority of languages used on the Internet. A wide range of world language typefaces are available, including fonts that support major Asian languages that contain thousands of characters. New patent-pending Web technology from Monotype Imaging is used to speed the delivery of languages that contain large character sets, such as Chinese and Japanese.
“Web fonts dramatically improve how text is handled on the Web,” said Allan Haley, director of words and letters at Monotype Imaging. “Design is transformed whether you’re a Web page designer or an individual seeking to easily and affordably stylize Web sites and blogs with type.” Before Web fonts, designers traditionally faced a frustrating trade-off, according to Haley. “They could design with only a handful of system fonts that reside on most computers. Alternatively, designers could use any fonts, as long as they were embedded in graphics. However, text is more difficult to edit and is not searchable, scalable or selectable when embedded in graphics,” he said.
Web sites are also able to facilitate a more functional user experience using Web fonts. For example, search engine optimization can be improved because unlike text embedded in graphics, Web fonts enable text to be search engine discoverable. Jill Whalen, search engine optimization expert and chief executive officer of Boston SEO agency High Rankings, said, “We advise our clients to always try to use text instead of images to display important headlines and navigation, as search engines don’t recognize text contained in images. Fonts.com Web Fonts clearly supports this SEO strategy and is a great new tool for SEO experts and their clients.”
Sites designed with Web fonts also provide flexibility to more readily meet accessibility standards for the visually impaired. “Web accessibility is an increasingly important usability requirement for our customers,” said Lynn Pausic, Web usability expert and founder and president of Expero, Inc., a user experience solutions company. “Many of the tools that people with disabilities use to understand and navigate Web sites depend on the presence of machine readable text. When text is presented in images, these tools often fail. Fonts.com Web Fonts enables Web designers to achieve accessibility requirements without compromising design objectives.”
Hosted on a cloud-based, global distribution network of servers, Monotype Imaging’s Web font solution downloads fonts dynamically to Internet browsers, resulting in fonts that are displayed on connected client machines. The service complies with W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) specifications for deploying server-based fonts and supports all major Internet browsers, including the Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Mozilla® Firefox®, Apple® Safari®, Google Chrome™ and Opera™ platforms.
In addition to a fee-based subscription model, an entry level tier with access to more than 2,000 fonts will be offered at the conclusion of the public beta with no payment required, when Fonts.com Web Fonts launches commercially. At that time, beta participants will have the option to upgrade to a higher tier or continue at the free level. Further information on the subscription model will become available at the commercial launch, which is targeted for later in 2010.
Web developers, content creators and others worldwide may request an invitation to join the public beta and gain free access to the solution by visiting webfonts.fonts.com, or by following the Web fonts link from the homepage of Fonts.com.
About Monotype Imaging
Monotype Imaging is a global provider of text imaging solutions for manufacturers and developers of consumer electronics devices including laser printers, copiers, mobile phones, digital televisions, set-top boxes, navigation devices, digital cameras and software applications and operating systems. The company also provides printer drivers, color imaging technologies and embedded graphical user interface solutions to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Monotype Imaging technologies are combined with access to more than 13,000 typefaces from the Monotype®, Linotype® and ITC® typeface libraries - home to some of the world’s most widely used designs, including the Times New Roman®, Helvetica and ITC Franklin Gothic™ typefaces. Fonts are licensed to creative and business professionals through custom font design services, direct sales or e-commerce portals. Monotype Imaging offers fonts and industry-standard solutions that support all of the world’s major languages. The company is based in Woburn, Mass., with regional offices in the U.K., Germany (Linotype), Japan, China and Korea, in addition to U.S. regional offices in Mt. Prospect, Ill., Redwood City, Calif. and Boulder, Colo. Information about Monotype Imaging and its products can be found at monotypeimaging.com.
Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Times New Roman is a trademark of The Monotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Linotype is a trademark of Linotype GmbH registered in the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Helvetica, Frutiger and Univers are trademarks of Linotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions in the name of Linotype Corp. or its licensee Linotype GmbH. ITC is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. ITC Franklin Gothic is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Microsoft and Internet Explorer are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Mozilla and Firefox are registered trademarks of the Mozilla Foundation. Apple and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Chrome is a trademark of Google Inc. Opera is a trademark of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2010 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.
About Linotype
Linotype GmbH, based in Bad Homburg, Germany and a wholly owned subsidiary of Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., looks back onto a history of more than 120 years. Building on its strong heritage, Linotype develops state-of-the-art font technology and offers more than 12,000 typefaces, covering the whole typographic spectrum from antique to modern, from east to west, and from classical to experimental. All typefaces (in PostScript® and TrueType® format as well as more than 7,000 fonts in the OpenType format) are also available for instant download at www.linotype.com. In addition to digital fonts, Linotype offers comprehensive and individual consultation and support services for applications in worldwide (corporate) communication.