Ascender Corp. has launched http://www.FontsLive.com, a new service for web designers and developers seeking high quality fonts to format web sites with CSS @font-face using licensed downloadable fonts instead of system fonts or headline graphics.

Ascender, known for the creation of screen and user interface fonts for Microsoft, Google, Motorola, Nokia and other leading technology companies, launched the site this week. FontsLive.com leverages the Ascender Web Fonts platform, using the CSS @font-face rule and downloadable fonts.
 
Instead of programming images to represent fonts, use of FonstLive.com allows developers and designers to utilize the real font, eliminating a step within the production process, says Bill Davis, vice president of Ascender. FontsLive.com delivers web fonts to all major desktop browsers and mobile devices including the iPhone and iPad.

Via the site, web designers and developers can select both web and traditional desktop font licenses from Ascender’s list of type foundry partners. FontsLive.com allows web designers and developers to use real fonts on their web site, eliminating the use of images and text replacement techniques including JavaScript, Flash and VML, says Davis.

FontsLive.com offers web fonts as part of a cloud-based hosted service, and also for self-hosting by larger websites. A free 30-day trial is offered for web designers and developers.