# How do I add a new font for my RoR website (hosted on linux, developed on Mac)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 17, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014 "2009-01-17T23:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/1 "2009-01-17T23:03:20Z")
Hi, Any pointers where to start digging re how I could use some fonts (e.g. [Iconian Fonts](http://www.iconian.com/c.html) ) in my Rails web site? I develop on Mac, but deploy to a Linux box. Does this mean I have to work out how to install fonts on both operating system I guess? Would I then only have to refer to the fonts in the CSS style sheet such that my RoR application beyond this would need no further modification? – Greg [http://blog.gregnet.org/](http://blog.gregnet.org/) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/2 "2009-01-17T23:10:22Z")
Greg, You might want to read up a bit more on how fonts are used on the web. If you declare specific fonts to be used in your CSS, it only tells the browser to try and use it. If the person browsing the site/application doesn’t have the font specific installed on their application, then they it’ll default to a font it does have. Here is some information that explains it. - [Fonts](http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/fonts.html#q1) Hope that helps… Robby On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 2:02 PM, Greg H. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > [http://blog.gregnet.org/](http://blog.gregnet.org/) > > > – Robby R. Chief Evangelist, Partner PLANET ARGON, LLC design // development // hosting w/Ruby on Rails > **[Planet Argon](https://www.planetargon.com/)** > > Planet Argon is a Ruby on Rails development agency specializing in maintenance and support for existing Rails apps. Based in Portland, OR, Planet Argon has been a member of the Rails community since 2004. [http://www.robbyonrails.com/](http://www.robbyonrails.com/) aim: planetargon +1 503 445 2457 +1 877 55 ARGON [toll free] +1 815 642 4068 [fax] ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/3 "2009-01-17T23:25:35Z")
oh, that makes sense - so for our Web Apps we’re pretty much stuck to common denominator fonts for the browsers then? On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:09 AM, Robby R. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote: > - [Fonts](http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/fonts.html#q1) > > > I develop on Mac, but deploy to a Linux box. Does this mean I have to > > design // development // hosting w/Ruby on Rails – Greg [http://blog.gregnet.org/](http://blog.gregnet.org/) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/4 "2009-01-17T23:41:26Z")
I guess you could go some sort of flash based approach, but then you have the issues associated with that, e.g. still need to have same text behind for screen readers, how do search engines then go indexing your site etc… On Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 8:36 AM, Fernando P. \< removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid\> wrote: > > – Greg [http://blog.gregnet.org/](http://blog.gregnet.org/) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/5 "2009-01-17T23:36:45Z")
Greg H. wrote: > oh, that makes sense - so for our Web Apps we’re pretty much stuck to > common > denominator fonts for the browsers then? Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/6 "2009-01-18T00:03:41Z")
On 17 Jan 2009, at 23:40, Greg H. wrote: > I guess you could go some sort of flash based approach, but then you > have the issues associated with that, e.g. still need to have same > text behind for screen readers, how do search engines then go > indexing your site etc… See [sIFR » Mike Industries](http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/sifr/) and similar solution. Degrade gracefully and fully indexable. The big question is: do you really need it? The default system fonts can be enough to make a nice looking website without the need for such a solution. Best regards Peter De Berdt ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/7 "2009-01-18T02:41:45Z")
On Jan 17, 5:36 pm, Fernando P. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Greg H. wrote: > > > oh, that makes sense - so for our Web Apps we’re pretty much stuck to > > common > > denominator fonts for the browsers then? > > Exactly. I feel compelled to point out that this is only part of the story. First of all, it is always possible to specify a weird font as first choice, as long as you’re willing to put up with fallback to another font. Second – and more important – is the fact that more and more browsers support dynamic font embedding as specified in the CSS2 standard; please see [CSS @ Ten: The Next Big Thing – A List Apart](http://www.alistapart.com/articles/cssatten) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/Dynamic\_fonts](http://en.wikipedia.org/Dynamic_fonts) . It’s not universal yet, but with any luck, it will become more so. Good luck! ## Best, Marnen Laibow-Koser removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://www.marnen.org](http://www.marnen.org) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/how-do-i-add-a-new-font-for-my-ror-website-hosted-on-linux-developed-on-mac/158014/8 "2009-01-18T21:54:24Z")
Finally, when you absolutely need something exactly as you want, use images… Cheers, Sazima