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The Great Debate: Web Fonts vs. SVGs – Which Should You Use? It Depends
Oct 1, 2024
Dive into the evolution of web icons, from the pixelated past of Geocities to the sleek era of web fonts and SVGs. Discover how web fonts transformed performance on retina screens while SVGs brought unparalleled flexibility and crispness. The discussion tackles the pros and cons of each, emphasizing accessibility and user experience. Plus, learn about Font Awesome Kits as a tool for optimizing your icon choices. Ultimately, the decision between web fonts and SVGs hinges on your project's unique needs.
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Quick takeaways
- The evolution of icon technology represents a transition from low-resolution images to versatile web fonts and SVGs, significantly enhancing web design performance.
- A detailed comparison of web fonts and SVGs reveals their respective advantages and disadvantages, emphasizing the importance of project-specific needs in choosing the right technology.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Icon Technology
The history of icon technology on the web traces back to the early days of low-resolution images, where basic formats like JPEG and GIF were commonly used. These images were difficult to resize, often requiring separate files for different sizes, which complicated design processes. The innovation of sprites emerged as a workaround, allowing a single larger image to display multiple smaller icons, thus improving loading times. The introduction of web fonts marked a significant shift, enabling designers to replace text characters with icons, optimizing their display on various screen resolutions and enhancing web performance.
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