For many designers and front-end developers, another hot topic of conversation is the @font-face CSS declarations which now allow us to use any font we like in our websites as if it was installed on the users computer.

Before we were restricted in which fonts we could use, relying solely on the fonts which most users would have installed on their computers; Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, Courier New – to name just a few.

Now we can upload the required font files to our server, reference them in our CSS and we are all set.

I bet I know what you are thinking – what about browser support? It goes without saying that everything we do is affected in someway or another by the browser support of the features we want to use. The good news is that @font-face is currently supported by all major browsers: Firefox 3.5+, Chrome 4+, Safari 3.2+, Opera 10.1+, even Internet Explorer 6+.

But hang on, isn't Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) over 10 years old? Yes it is, and even though @font-face is officially a new declaration within CSS3, it was originally planned for CSS2 and therefore was implemented by IE6 – when it came to @font-face being removed from the spec (for reasons I am not quite sure of), support was never removed from IE6.

For more information on the code required and how to create a bulletproof @font-face declaration which is cross-browser, check out Paul Irish's article on 'Bulletproof @font-face syntax'.

However, though in theory @font-face allows us to use any font we like – we are restricted by the font's licenses whether font embedding or sharing is permitted. This is mainly down to the fact that if we are linking to a font file in our code, it means anybody can just download the font and then is it on their computer.

Therefore, it is important to check if the font you want to use is permitted to be used on the web.

Alternatively, there are a few resources which I have come across and found extremely useful in getting @font-face fonts and making sure they are permitted to be used.

• Font Squirrel

  The Font Squirrel website lists 'hundreds of @font-face font kits' which are 100% free for commercial use. The kits provide all the necessary fonts and code needed to be implemented.

• Fontspring

  If you wish to have even more of a selection of font, and have a more unique feel to your website - Fontspring provides purchasable fonts along with @font-face licenses, all very reasonable prices.

• FontDeck

  Whereas the last 2 services allowed you to select individual fonts, and in the case of FontSpring, purchase @font-face licenses, FontDeck allows you to pay a subscription and have full access to their library of fonts to use on your website. Great alternative if you want to use a lot of fonts, or as a freelancer you love to use unique fonts for all your clients' websites.

• TypeKit

  Like FontDeck, TypeKit allows you to pay a monthly subscription allowing access to their library of fonts and use them on your website. The higher level your account type is, the more fonts you can use and the more website domains you can use the fonts on.

So when you are next designing a website, or even as a client looking to have a website designed, look into the possibility of using more custom fonts to get more aesthetics and edge on the web. Stand out, be at the forefront of new technologies and trends.

The answer to this question will be dependent on a number of parameters. Are you an in-house agency within a corporate environment? Are you a freelancer constantly on the move? Or are you stifled by the powers that be who believe the walls should be magnolia?

You also have to look at the individuals. Do you like to share ideas and visuals with your colleagues? Does the thought of an open critique on the work you have produced make you shudder? Are you open to suggestions, comments and opinions from colleagues?

We believe that the answer is about displaying your work, whether in a draft or finished state, for all to see and allow opinion from all that pass by, should they wish to give it. You never know there could be a nugget in the suggestions which help develop your solution further. 

It also can give you a broad snapshot of a running project and allow you to visually trackback, potentially using earlier ideas to enhance your current version. By keeping your past visuals piled up on a table, never to be seen again, you are not allowing yourself to fully appreciate where your creative journey has come from… and alas never taking the positive elements along for the ride.

Having worked in offices where the walls were kept bare (for all sorts of reasons), the amount of life generated from designs placed on magnolia is great. It creates a creative buzz and allows all of your colleagues to see what you are working on and how a project is taking shape.

The individual is another barrier. Some creatives don't feel too comfortable placing their wears on show. This could be down to confidence or having an insular personality where cards are kept very close to their chest. Unfortunately carrying these traits can be detrimental in aiding a successful project solution.

People who lack the confidence need to remember the phrase 'no idea is a bad idea', every solution is valid. To those who want to keep everything to themselves then the only way to really progress your visuals and your own creative skills is to share. Your colleagues are the best tutors, plus they are free!