Font embedding

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Font embedding is the inclusion of font files inside an electronic document for display across different platforms. Font embedding is controversial because it allows licensed fonts to be freely distributed.

Contents

History

Font embedding has been possible with Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word for Windows and some other applications for many years. LibreOffice supports font embedding since version 4.1 in its Writer, Calc and Impress applications.

In word processors

Microsoft Word for Windows has permitted font embedding in some document formats since Word 97 (such as .doc or .rtf). But this feature does not work correctly in some Word versions. [1]

LibreOffice supports font embedding since version 4.1. This feature is available for LibreOffice Writer, the spreadsheet application LibreOffice Calc, and the presentation application LibreOffice Impress. [2]

Both OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice support font embedding in the PDF export feature. [3]

Font embedding in word processors is not widely supported nor interoperable. [4] [5] For example, if a .rtf file made in Microsoft Word is opened in LibreOffice Writer, it will usually remove the embedded fonts.[ citation needed ]

On the Web

Browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Google Chrome support automatic downloading of fonts used on a website using CSS2 or CSS3.[ citation needed ]

Controversy

Font embedding is a controversial practice because it allows copyrighted fonts to be freely distributed. The controversy can be mitigated by only embedding the characters required to view the document (subsetting). This reduces file size but prohibits adding previously unused characters to the document.

Because of the potential for copyright infringement, Microsoft Internet Explorer only permits embedded fonts that include digital rights management (DRM) protections. The Acid3 test requires font embedding with minimal DRM protections.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Embedded fonts are not displayed as expected in the documents that are saved as RTF in Word". Archived from the original on 9 Oct 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  2. ↑ "LibreOffice 4.1 New Features and Fixes". 28 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "API/Tutorials/PDF export". Archived from the original on 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  4. ↑ "Embedding fonts in RTF file". 2005-04-23. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
  5. ↑ "OpenOffice.org Issue - MS Interoperability: embedd fonts into the document" . Retrieved 2010-03-17.


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