Webfonts are too large

[xfq]

This issue is applicable to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Most simple alphabetic languages are currently well served by existing Web font delivery methods. However, the Chinese, Japanese and Korean (CJK) group of languages is currently unable to use Webfonts due to the very large file sizes. A substantial reduction in file size is needed, without a significant increase in page load times caused by multiple network requests.

Specs

IFT: this specification defines methods to incrementally transfer fonts from server to client.

Preinstalled Fonts and User-Installed Fonts in css-fonts: issue 5421 Open.

Priority

Because most operating systems have preinstalled CJK fonts, CJK text can be rendered properly, it's just the fonts cannot be freely selected, so this is prioritised as an advanced issue.

Action taken

Blink • Webkit • Gecko

[xfq]

The first comment in this issue contains text that will automatically appear in one or more gap-analysis documents as a subsection with the same title as this issue. Any edits made to that comment will be immediately available in the document. Proposals for changes or discussion of the content can be made in comments below this point.

[svgeesus]

Evaluation of "how large" and "how much smaller can we make them" here:

• 2.7 Failure: Large glyph repertoires
• 5.3 Analysis: CJK
• 6.3 Conclusions: CJK

[xfq]

Made a simple test here: w3c/glyph_character_tests#41