A Free Version Of Typecast Is Now Available On Google Fonts

A pretty common criticism of Google Fonts has been that while there’s a plethora of free fonts for users to pick and choose from, Mountain View really doesn’t do much to streamline the process of finding the right one. To see what a typeface will look like on a given web page, users must either insert new code into the HTML or purchase a preview tool.

Fortunately, a new partnership between Google and Monotype seeks to address this shortcoming once and for all.

"Great design starts with exceptional typography, and easy access to type is essential for creative expression," said Chris Roberts, vice president and general manager of Monotype's e-commerce group in a press statement. "Our goal is to make designing with Web fonts more accessible to everyone. So we've partnered with Google to reach out to more designers. Those who currently rely on Google's library of free typefaces to bring more varied typography to the Web will now be able to work with those typefaces more easily and create stunning, readable compositions in a fraction of the time."

To that end, Monotype is releasing a free public version of its popular Typecast tool that will allow a user to preview fonts without first needing to insert them into content. Simply select a font and the application will let you see what it will look like with various color combinations, weights, effects and sizes.

"Choosing a typeface in isolation, without the context of content or other text, is a difficult task," said Filip Zembowicz, product manager at Google. "The Typecast design tool makes it easy to try out and experiment with font pairings from the Google Fonts directory."

Once a suitable font is located, users can save images and export code directly from the Typecast application. The functionality is free, but the company also offers a premium service for $29 per month that enables live web previews and tools to create style guides.

"I'm delighted that fans of Google Fonts are now able to use this new, free version of the Typecast application," said Paul McKeever, director of Typecast. "Google's service is incredibly popular, and many designers' first experience with Web fonts is made possible through their free library. In our drive to encourage more use of Web fonts online and offer a new way to access the Typecast application, Google Fonts is the ideal partner. We hope that our free public version will foster more type lovers and over time cultivate more typography advocates. We think that's good for the Web, clients, readers and designers everywhere."