I need to design some graphics to be used on the web, and I need to use some fonts in those graphics.
I am new to this. I read a few articles about the differences between desktop fonts and web fonts. But I am not clear about this:
Shall I simply download some web fonts and use them in the graphics, just like I use desktop fonts? Will they be rendered on the website just like I see them in the designing software (Adobe Illustrator)?
If on the website you will be using the image as a flat file, such as PNG, than it is much like using it on a business card, flyer, etc.; business as usual I guess.
On the other hand if your graphic is to be converted to HTML & CSS by a developer, than you will need to use a "web font" (since the font is embed into the website, just like any other file).
The third option would be that you export the graphic in SVG format, than the font could be either embed (similar to the second scenario), or you could convert the text to outlines.
In any case, be sure to check the licence to see what you may do.
Bonus notes to keep in mind:
Some fonts are designed to look better on screen.
While you will probably want more options regarding fonts, you could also look into using common fonts such as Arial, Georgia, etc.
The different between web and desktop fonts has mostly to do with licensing. It's illegal to use certain fonts in certain situations without properly obtaining the licenses for those fonts.
If you have a particular font you want to use for a project, the answer is that you'll have to research the licensing for that font and figure out what kind of packages the creator has for the font (web, desktop, web + desktop) and purchase the correct license. However if you're on a tight budget or are just trying to get started and need practice here are some other suggestions:
Google Fonts: Google Fonts are free and are easy to dump into a project with a link href.
Typekit: Typekit for a small yearly fee allows you access to a large number of webfonts that you can choose and add to any project without worrying about researching their individual licenses.
