7 Essential JavaScript Typography Resources

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When you think of web typography, CSS instantly comes to mind. And that’s great, because CSS is the primary option when dealing with the style/visual layer of your website.

However, when you hit a roadblock with CSS, take it up a level by using JavaScript (JS).

Open source JavaScript libraries can help you craft responsive web designs (a technique that optimizes webpage layouts for mobile devices), implement fun text effects and more. In this post, we will primarily focus on JavaScript libraries that use modern web typography techniques to underscore and promote current web design best practices.

1. Kerning.js

Kerning.js is an open source JavaScript library that promises web designers complete control of web typography. According to the developer of the project, Joshua Gross, the library is admittedly a “work in progress.” However, by extending CSS, it doesn’t need JS programming outside of referencing the library in your HTML. Simply use Kerning.js’s custom CSS properties such as -letter-kern and -word-color.

With this excellent JavaScript library, you can achieve a variety of type techniques normally associated with print design and desktop publishing, such as perfect kerning and conditional fallback fonts for your @font-face rules.

See live demo.

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