Font embedding is the inclusion offont files inside anelectronic document for display across different platforms. Font embedding is controversial because it allowslicensed fonts to be freely distributed.
Font embedding has been possible withPortable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word for Windows and some other applications for many years.LibreOffice supports font embedding since version 4.1 in itsWriter,Calc and Impress applications.
Microsoft Word forWindows 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 forLibreOffice Writer, the spreadsheet applicationLibreOffice Calc, and the presentation applicationLibreOffice Impress.[2]
BothOpenOffice.org and LibreOffice support font embedding in thePDF 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]
BrowsersInternet Explorer,Firefox,Safari,Opera andGoogle Chrome support automatic downloading of fonts used on a website usingCSS2 orCSS3.[citation needed]
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,MicrosoftInternet Explorer only permits embedded fonts that includedigital rights management (DRM) protections. TheAcid3 test requires font embedding with minimal DRM protections.
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