Checking for installed fonts with @font-face and local()
FireÂfox 3.5 was released earÂliÂer today, and joins Safari in supÂportÂing the @font-face rule with OpenÂType and TrueÂType font famÂiÂlies, allowÂing you to use a wider range of fonts in your designs (as long as they are corÂrectÂly licensed, of course).
One slight drawÂback of the techÂnique is the blank space that’s disÂplayed as the new font is loaded into the browsÂer; this is espeÂcialÂly unnecÂesÂsary for users who already have that font nativeÂly on their system.
The way to get around that is quite simÂple; use local()
to check if the font is on the user’s sysÂtem first.