Preloading @font-face fonts?

Question

Is it possible to preload or otherwise cache @font-face fonts, most likely with javascript, before the page loads so you don't get that ugly jump when the page finally does load?

Answer 1

Since 2017 you have preload

MDN: The preload value of the element's rel attribute allows you to write declarative fetch requests in your HTML , specifying resources that your pages will need very soon after loading, which you therefore want to start preloading early in the lifecycle of a page load, before the browser's main rendering machinery kicks in. This ensures that they are made available earlier and are less likely to block the page's first render, leading to performance improvements.

<link rel="preload" href="/fonts/myfont.eot" as="font" crossorigin="anonymous" />

Always check browser compatibility.

It is most useful for font preloading (not waiting for the browser to find it in some CSS). You can also preload some logos, icons and scripts.

• Other techniques pro/cons are discussed here (not my blog).
• Also see prefetch (similar) and SO question about preload vs prefetch.