Font Awesome 7: Fresh Icons, Pro+ Exclusives, and Performance Upgrades

Font Awesome, the popular icon library, has released its latest version, Font Awesome 7. This release brings a host of new features and improvements, focusing on providing a better experience for developers and designers alike. Let's dive into what makes Font Awesome 7 a significant upgrade.

Fresh Icons

Font Awesome 7 includes over 300 new icons in its initial release. The core icons have been redesigned for better visual consistency, featuring clearer shapes and smoother outlines. This ensures that your icons look crisp and professional across various screen resolutions and devices.

Pro+ Exclusives

One of the most exciting additions in Font Awesome 7 is the introduction of Pro+ icon packs. These packs are curated sets of icons with unique visual styles. Each pack includes around 200 commonly used icons tailored for app and web design and is available with a Pro+ subscription. Current Pro+ packs include Chisel, Etch, Jelly, Notdog, Slab, Thumbprint, and Whiteboard. Font Awesome plans to release even more icon packs in the future, providing an ever-growing library of exclusive icons.

Performance Upgrades

Font Awesome 7 has also focused on improving performance. These enhancements include tweaks and overhauls designed to make the toolkit faster and more efficient. Specific performance improvements include:

• Improved pseudo-element rendering performance when using SVG + JS.
• Reduced CSS file sizes through variable usage and compression strategies.

Additional Updates and Changes

Beyond the major highlights, Font Awesome 7 includes several additional updates and changes that contribute to a better overall experience:

• Fixed Width Icons: By default, all Font Awesome icons are displayed at a fixed width that fills the entire Icon Canvas, ensuring consistent alignment.
• SVG Format Overhaul: Individual SVG icon files have been changed to omit class attributes on <path> elements and default to fill=currentColor, providing greater flexibility in styling.
• Backwards Compatibility: Font Awesome 7 has been designed to be backward compatible with Font Awesome 6 and Font Awesome 5, making it easier to upgrade without breaking existing projects.
• Technology Support Drops: Font Awesome 7 no longer supports jQuery, LESS CSS, Python Django Plugin, Rails with Turbolinks, and Require.js, streamlining the library for modern development workflows.

Conclusion

Font Awesome 7 is a significant upgrade that brings a wealth of new icons, exclusive Pro+ packs, and performance improvements. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, Font Awesome 7 provides the tools and resources you need to create stunning and engaging user interfaces. With its focus on consistency, performance, and modern development practices, Font Awesome 7 is set to become an essential tool for web and app design.