Fontsnatcher -

Productivity Browser Extension

Fontsnatcher is a designers and enthusiats productivity browser extension that allows you to discover the fonts being ussed on the web.

With Fontsnatcher, simply activate the extension on any website and hover over text to find out the name of the font being used and details about it and how its being used on the website.

The extension provides comprehensive font information including font family, weight, size, line height and more. It also allows you to quickly copy CSS properties and explore similar fonts through Google Fonts integration.

Client

Cristian Porras Tornqvist

Industry

Extensions

Services

UI/UX Design

Graphic Design

Extension Development

Year

2021

View live project

The Challenge

The main challenge was creating a browser extension that could accurately detect and extract font information from any website, while being lightweight and performant. We needed to develop a solution that could parse complex CSS hierarchies and computed styles to identify the exact fonts being used, without impacting the browsing experience.

Another key challenge was designing an intuitive interface that would seamlessly integrate with any website's design while providing comprehensive font information. The extension needed to present technical font details in a user-friendly way that both professional designers and typography enthusiasts could easily understand and utilize.

Our Solution

We developed a sophisticated font detection algorithm that efficiently analyzes DOM elements and their computed styles to extract accurate font information. The extension uses advanced CSS parsing techniques to handle complex font stacks and inherited properties, while maintaining fast performance through optimized code and selective scanning.

For the user interface, we created a clean, minimal design that appears on hover and displays font information in a clear, hierarchical manner. We implemented features like one-click CSS copying, direct links to Google Fonts, and detailed typography metrics, all presented in an easy-to-understand format that doesn't overwhelm users with technical details.

Conclusion

Fontsnatcher has become a valuable tool for designers and developers, streamlining their workflow by eliminating the need to manually inspect element styles or guess at font choices. The extension's ability to instantly identify and provide detailed information about fonts has made it easier for users to discover and implement typography choices in their own projects.

The project demonstrates how thoughtful UX design and efficient technical implementation can transform a common pain point into a seamless, enjoyable experience. Fontsnatcher continues to evolve with user feedback, maintaining its position as a go-to resource for web typography exploration and inspiration.