How to Host Fonts Locally in ILIAS LMS

Fonts play a significant role in the overall design and user experience of an e-learning platform like ILIAS (Integrated Learning, Information, and Work Cooperation System). However, relying solely on external font sources can sometimes lead to issues such as slower loading times or font availability concerns. To address this, hosting fonts locally within ILIAS can be a beneficial approach. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to host local fonts in ILIAS LMS.

Why Host Local Fonts?

Hosting fonts locally in ILIAS offers several advantages:

• Improved Performance: Local fonts reduce dependency on external servers, potentially speeding up page load times.
• Enhanced Control: You have full control over the availability and version of fonts used.
• Offline Accessibility: Users can access fonts even when they are offline or when external servers are unreachable.
• Compliance and Security: Hosting fonts locally can enhance data privacy and security compliance.

Steps to Host Local Fonts in ILIAS

To host local fonts in ILIAS, follow these steps:

1. Choose and Obtain the Font Files

First, you need to choose the fonts you want to use and obtain their font files (typically in formats like .woff or .woff2). Ensure that you have the necessary licensing rights to use these fonts.

2. Upload Font Files to ILIAS Server

Access your ILIAS server's file management system. Navigate to the appropriate directory in your skin, where fonts can be stored. You may choose to create a new directory specifically for fonts to keep things organized.

Upload your font files (e.g., font.woff, font.woff2) to this directory. In our ILIAS installation, we store the font files in the fonts directory within our skin and create a .less file named our-skin-fonts.less with the following content:

@font-face {
      font-family: 'Lato';
      src:    url('fonts/Lato/lato-v24-latin-regular.woff2') format('woff2'),
      url('fonts/Lato/lato-v24-latin-regular.woff2') format('woff');
      font-weight: 400;
      font-style: normal;
}

3. Modify ILIAS Stylesheets

Next, you'll need to modify ILIAS's stylesheets (styles.css) to reference the locally hosted fonts. You can do this by adding @font-face rules that point to the uploaded font files. For example:

@font-face {
      font-family: 'Lato';
      src:    url('fonts/Lato/lato-v24-latin-regular.woff2') format('woff2'),
      url('fonts/Lato/lato-v24-latin-regular.woff2') format('woff');
      font-weight: 400;
      font-style: normal;
     /* Additional font properties (e.g., font-weight, font-style) can be specified here */
}

body {
  font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif;
}

As you can see with have stored only one font file and it is located in skin's fonts/Lato directory. Replace our path with the actual paths to your uploaded font files within ILIAS.

4. Apply Font Styles to ILIAS Elements

Once you've defined the @font-face rules, you can apply your custom font styles to specific elements within ILIAS. For example:

h1, h2, h3 {
  font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif;
  /* Additional font styles can be defined here */
}

5. Testing

After making these changes, save your stylesheet modifications and test your ILIAS instance to ensure that the locally hosted fonts are being applied correctly across different parts of the platform.

Conclusion

Hosting fonts locally in ILIAS LMS gives you more control over the design and performance of your e-learning platform. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can seamlessly integrate custom fonts into ILIAS, enhancing the visual appeal and user experience of your educational content.

Have you hosted local fonts in ILIAS before? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!