The Great Debate: Web Fonts vs. SVGs – Which Should You Use? It Depends

Podcast Awesome

In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt and Rob take you on a wild ride through the evolution of web icons — because who doesn’t love a good glow-up story? From the pixelated mess of Geocities and MySpace days (RIP low-res images) to the sleek world of custom web fonts and SVG's moment in the sun, they break down each tech's pros and cons so you don’t have to.
Ever wondered how icons went from blurry to brilliant? We've got questions and Rob’s got the answers! He explains how web fonts came in like a hero to save the day, improving performance and making your designs look sharp when retina screens appeared on the scene. But wait—SVGs are here too, offering even more flexibility, accessibility, and crispness for those big graphic-heavy projects. Plus, with Font Awesome Kits, you’ll learn how to easily mix and match your icons for peak performance without breaking a sweat.
So. What kind of icon is best for your project — Webfont or SVG. Rob dodges the dogmatism and simply says, "well, it depends."
Key Takeaways:

• Evolution of Icon Technology: An overview of the shift from low-resolution images to web fonts and SVGs, highlighting their impact on web design.
• Pros and Cons: Detailed comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of web fonts and SVGs, including aspects like performance, accessibility, and usability.
• Font Awesome Kits: Explanation of how Font Awesome Kits help developers navigate between web fonts and SVGs, offering features to optimize icon usage.
• Accessibility and Semantics: Discussion on the importance of accessibility and semantic considerations in choosing icon technology.
• Practical Advice: Guidance on how to decide between web fonts and SVGs for specific projects, with practical examples and insights.
  Timestamp Summary
  0:09 | 🌐 The Evolution of Icon Tech on the Web
  2:16 | 🖼️ Evolution of Web Icons from Images to Custom Fonts
  7:33 | ⚡ Web Fonts Versus SVGs for Faster and Accessible Icons
  12:13 | 🔍 Choosing Between SVG and Other Formats Depends on Your Project
  13:01 | 🎬 Web Fonts Versus SVG: Pros and Cons for Icon Animation
  15:40 | 🛠️ Making Web Fonts Accessible with Font Awesome Kits
  16:57 | 🎨 Advantages and Challenges of Using SVGs for Web Icons
  20:17 | 🚀 Optimizing Font Awesome: Web Fonts vs SVG
  26:40 | 🔧 Simplifying Font Awesome Upgrades with Kits
  28:27 | ✅ Making the Right Choice: SVG Versus Web Font
  Podcast Awesome: https://www.podcastawesome.com/
  Font Awesome Pro: Level up with Font Awesome Pro!
  Webfont or SVG: Well, it Depends: https://blog.fontawesome.com/svg-or-webfont/
  https://fontawesome.com/plans
  Twitter: @fontawesome
  The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/
  Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/

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Chapters

1. Rob and Matt SVG vs Webfont (00:00:00)

2. History of Web Fonts and Icons (00:01:46)

3. The Rise of Custom Web Fonts (00:04:58)

4. Introduction to SVG Technology (00:08:43)

5. Comparing Web Fonts and SVG (00:11:47)

6. Font Awesome Kits: Bridging the Gap (00:23:40)

7. Conclusion and Additional Resources (00:27:47)