Variable Fonts

Working on some interactive @variablefonts web demos and it was the perfect excuse to use the drippy version of @OHnoTypeCo’s Cheee typeface. v-fonts.com/fonts/cheee-va…

@pgconstable @robmck Thanks! Is there any formal documentation of the situation for users? Also, is the support of named instances dependent on fonts having a properly configured STAT table? i.e. having named instances only in the fvar table will result in the names not appearing correctly?

@variablefonts @robmck Office apps support named instances of variable fonts, but don't (yet) support arbitrary instances. Support should be the same on macOS and Web as on Windows. Printing and export to PDF should work, though there's a known issue with some PS drivers.

@pgconstable @robmck Is there any definitive reference online about the support (or lack thereof) for variable fonts in Microsoft Office apps?

@pgconstable @robmck I know about the reference for Windows / DirectWrite (#using-opentype-variable-fonts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/…) but obviously that isn’t as relevant for things like Office 365 or Office for Mac. Even an informal statement somewhere would be helpful to be able to direct users to if/when they ask.

Support for variable fonts has finally been added to @Figma: figma.com/typography/var… The support page has been updated accordingly: v-fonts.com/support

@n8willis You can! v-fonts.com/fonts/whoa

Can I do this with variable fonts?

@adamtwar @glyphe I do have a setting in the CMS to mark axes as hidden, but it doesn’t currently affect the display of anything yet. I'll eventually make it so hidden axes are collapsed by default, but unfortunately my other (paid) projects are taking priority over those kinds of tweaks lately.

@glyphe @variablefonts Roboto Flex is one of the few VFs that use hidden axes. Perhaps v-fonts.com could show them in a different way? (Still visible, but less prominent, for example).

I love #varibalefonts. But Roboto Flex is too much for me. 😱 12 axes create a system, that breaks too hard, too soon in any extreme.

@_csilverman If you haven’t seen it before, they use the SF Compact variable fonts for the watchOS interface: v-fonts.com/fonts/sf-compa…

Apple’s latest San Francisco variable system fonts, shipping with recent macOS updates, cover a much larger range of weights and widths than ever before, as well as axes for optical size variation and multiplexed grades. v-fonts.com/fonts/sf-pro

vartype is now LIVE! ⚡️✨ The beta for our new kinetic variable font tool is ready to go with appearances from a few fancy folks: @FaireProjects @djrrb @vectrotype and [@]beatloz. Upload any vfont and get fully-tunable kinetic sketches 🌿 → vartype.com

@MarkFonts @TypeTogether See also the tag for fonts with retractable serifs: v-fonts.com/tags/C114

also DJR did remind me of @variablefonts’ v-fonts.com/tags/C10 And @TypeTogether’s Belarius does have a “serif” axis, but its intended use isn’t to assist a slab serif perform better at more sizes. v-fonts.com/fonts/belarius…

Are slab serifs harder to use?

@PixelAmbacht @grillitype @ArrowType @jenskutilek @davelab6 @axis_praxis I started working on a more detailed version of v-fonts.com/support with specific notes and support issues but it’s not quite ready for release yet.

@neonmoire I haven’t tested it personally, but yes they should: developer.apple.com/documentation/…

Do variable fonts work on an Apple Watch?

@detyper Clarification: The Clavichord typeface is by @djrrb, not me!

@d_ver @frankrausch We’ve got you covered there: v-fonts.com/axes/CNTR (There are probably more fonts with a contrast axis, but these are the ones that use `CNTR` for the 4-character axis code.)

@frankrausch The only thing missing for me is an ability to change font contrast.

A lot of small but useful new features were added to v-fonts.com recently. @PiperHaywood did a good job summarizing what’s new on the site and some of the things in the works for the future: piperhaywood.com/updates-to-v-f…

This is starting now 🚀

There will be a big update to v-fonts.com tomorrow, including many simple but useful new features. @NickSherman and @PiperHaywood will launch the update and discuss other developments under way in the @TypographicsNYC TypeLab at 11:30 EDT: #1332" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">2021.typographics.com/typelab/#1332

@PixelAmbacht @Litherum @abrax5 @typethoughts @djrrb @underware @OHnoTypeCo The bug is also still present in the latest version of iOS Safari.

Has anyone been able to find a solution for this Safari bug on the variable font level? It's happening only on opsz axis as far as I can see. CC: @djrrb @PixelAmbacht -- it's even happening on wakamaifondue with Gimlet (opsz).

@typethoughts Yes, WOFF is definitely preferable. WOFF2 is even better. On a related note: Any browser that supports font variations also supports WOFF2. So, for web use, you can get away with providing *only* WOFF2 versions of variable fonts.

Help, variable font connaisseurs: Do you need a variable woff file for the web, or can you just use the ttf? I'm a bit unsure on what the differences are.