Font Library Explained

FONTLIBRARY
Former Name:Open Font Library
Company Type:Non-profit
Website Type:-->
Headquarters:St. Louis
Country:-->
Owner:Fabricatorz Foundation
Founder:Jon Phillips, Alexandre Prokoudine[1]
Key People:Christopher Adams, Ana Isabel Carvalho, Dave Crossland,[2] Bassel Khartabil, Ricardo Lafuente, Jon Phillips,[3] Alexandre Prokoudine, George Williams
Rev:-->
Intl:-->
Num Employees:-->
Subsid:-->
Commercial:No
Reg:-->
Users:-->
Current Status:Active
Content License:CC0, SIL Open Font License (OFL)

The FONTLIBRARY (originally called the Open Font Library) is a project devoted to hosting and encouraging the creation of fonts released under Free Licenses.[4] [5] It is a sister project to Openclipart[3] [2] [6] and hosts over 6000 fonts from over 250 contributors.[7] These are intended to be downloaded, remixed and shared freely.[8]

In May 2024, FONTLIBRARY announced the new tagline "Free Fonts Forever". Also, the project announced challenges with artificial intelligence overwhelming the project and a strategy for how to work with artificial intelligence technology and fonts.

In January 2024, FONTLIBRARY posted news that they have adopted Nostr for communications.[9] Also, the project announced that the codebase is being rewritten due to the core technology Aiki Framework being in disrepair since the execution of its founder, Bassel Khartabil.[10] A new logo is also in the works to mark the change.[11] Also, the project rebranded itself FONTLIBRARY.

History

Originally created as the Open Font Library initiative in 2006 by Jon Phillips and Alexandre Prokoudine, the project relaunched on May 12, 2011 at the Libre Graphics Meeting 2011 in Montreal by Fabricatorz developer Christopher Adams.[12]

The Open Font Library hosted a mailing list through which font developers discuss ways to improve libre fonts.[13]

The site was started with a deployment of ccHost version 4, and in 2008 Dave Crossland made a funding campaign that raised over US$10,000 from Mozilla, Prince XML, River Valley and TUG to transition to ccHost 5 with a new brand to promote web font linking. However, the work done with the funds was not published until 2010 at the 2010 Libre Graphics Meeting in Brussels.

The project's members met annually at the Libre Graphics Meeting. In 2011, work supported by Dave Crossland, Christopher Adams, Fabricatorz and other community members got a major release at the LGM in Montreal. Fabricatorz built the project on the Aiki Framework and managed development via Launchpad.

In April 2012, Fabricatorz released an update to Open Font Library that includes an interactive font catalogue preview feature, HTML and CSS code implementation, and a new design by Manufactura Independente.[14]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AI Overflow and AI Plans. fontlibrary.org. 25 May 2024. 26 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Then, now, and the future of open source fonts. Opensource.com. 23 June 2017.
  3. Web site: Jon Phillips – Open Font Library – Full Interview. 17 October 2007. Fullcirclemagazine.com. 23 June 2017. 13 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161113152702/http://fullcirclemagazine.org/john-philips-open-font-library-full-interview/. dead.
  4. Web site: Dmitri Popov . Open Font Library: The Font Fountain . Linux Magazine . 2014-01-29 . 2017-06-27.
  5. Web site: We are now FONTLIBRARY. fontlibrary.org. 31 Jan 2024. 26 May 2024.
  6. Web site: Finding and using free fonts [LWN.net]]. Lwn.net. 23 June 2017.
  7. Web site: Top 5 sources for open source fonts. Opensource.com. 23 June 2017.
  8. Web site: The Ubuntu font and a fresh look at open font licensing [LWN.net]]. lwn.net. 23 June 2017.
  9. Web site: Follow FONTLIBRARY on Nostr. fontlibrary.org. 24 Jan 2024. 30 Jan 2024.
  10. Web site: Follow FONTLIBRARY on Nostr. fontlibrary.org. 24 Jan 2024. 30 Jan 2024.
  11. Web site: Fontlibrary 2024 Logo Seed. fontlibrary.org. 29 Jan 2024. 30 Jan 2024.
  12. Web site: Launching the Open Font Library and Freeing Fonts - Fabricatorz. 19 May 2011. Fabricatorz.com. 23 June 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110519235109/http://fabricatorz.com/2011/05/launching-the-open-font-library-and-freeing-fonts/. 19 May 2011.
  13. Web site: Adobe ventures into open fonts [LWN.net]]. lwn.net. 23 June 2017.
  14. Web site: Open Font Library Provides Free Fonts For All, Developers and Stay-At-Home Dads Alike. 12 April 2012. Fabricatorz.com. 23 June 2017. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20120412002517/http://fabricatorz.com/2012/04/open-font-library-provides-free-fonts-for-all-developers-and-stay-at-home-dads-alike. 12 April 2012.