FF Meta Variable
by Monotype
https://www.monotype.com/fonts/variable-fonts
CSScamp Barcelona, 17 July, 2019
Dynamic Typographic Systems &
Variable Fonts
Scalable, Fast, and Fabulous
Jason Pamental, web typographer
https://rwt.io | @jpamental
Itinerant typographer,
Walker of collies
Type is the voice of our words
It’s how we ‘hear’ what we read
“There are no crystal goblets, no defaults devoid of friction. Design has visible surfaces, inevitably, and they brim with significance and context and connotation and intent and tone”
—Nina Stössinger
A new chapter, about three new things
The Odyssey, Book I
Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.
.this-heading {
--heading-color: #212171;
}
.this-heading.changed {
--heading-color: #914141;
}
.this-heading {
--heading-size: 5;
font-size: calc( var(--heading-size) * 1vw );
}
.this-heading {
--heading-size: 5;
font-size: calc( var(--heading-size) * 1vw );
}
.this-heading.changed {
--heading-size: 6;
}
.this-heading {
--heading-weight: 700;
--heading-width: 100;
font-weight: var(--heading-weight);
font-stretch: calc( var(--heading-width) * 1% );
}
.this-heading.thinner {
--heading-weight: 150;
--heading-width: 80;
}
The Odyssey, Book I
Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.
A little bit
Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.
Can go farther
Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted
Than one expects
Moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home
.small-card {
--h3-size: 3;
--p-size: 1.6;
}
.sidebar .small-card {
--h3-size: 2.5;
--p-size: 1.5;
}
You might be asking
What was that strange magic in Slide 24?
A variable font is a single font file that behaves like multiple fonts
—John Hudson
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
width
width
weight
weight
x-height
x-height
.width.super-floof {
font-stretch: 140%;
}
.width.petite-puffle {
font-stretch: 50%;
}
.weight.chonky-boi {
font-weight: 900;
}
.weight.skinny-minnie {
font-weight: 500;
}
.x-height.bubba-bear {
font-variation-settings: 'YTLC' 600;
}
.x-height.lil-bit {
font-variation-settings: 'YTLC' 450;
}
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Fonts/Variable_Fonts_Guide
slant
.slant.naptime {
font-style: oblique 12deg;
}
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Fonts/Variable_Fonts_Guide
Scaling a scale
:root {
/* breakpoint variables */
--bp-small: 25;
--bp-medium: 45;
--bp-large: 55;
--bp-xlarge: 65;
/* set scale values */
--p-size-min: 1;
--p-size-mid: 1.125;
--p-size-max: 1.25;
--p-lh-min: 1.2;
--p-lh-mid: 1.4;
--p-lh-max: 1.6;
}
[Set font-size & line-height vars]
p {
font-size: calc( var(--p-size-min) * 1em );
line-height: var(--p-lh-min);
}
[Scale font-size & line-height]
@media screen and (min-width: 25em) {
p {
line-height: calc(( var(--p-lh-min) * 1em ) +
( var(--p-lh-max) - var(--p-lh-min) ) *
((100vw - ( var(--bp-small) * 1em )) /
( var(--bp-xlarge) - var(--bp-small) )));
font-size: calc(( var(--p-size-min) * 1em ) +
( var(--p-size-max) - var(--p-size-min) ) *
((100vw - ( var(--bp-small) * 1em )) /
( var(--bp-xlarge) - var(--bp-small) )));
}
}
@media (min-width: 65em) {
p {
font-size: calc( var(--p-size-max) * 1em );
line-height: var(--p-lh-max);
}
}
calc( [size-min]em + ( [size-max] - [size-min] ) * ((100vw - [start]em ) / ( [stop] - [start] )));
https://blog.typekit.com/2016/08/17/flexible-typography-with-css-locks/
“Please scale from 2.25em on small screens up to 5em on largest ones, starting at viewport width of 25em and stopping at 75em or larger”
https://blog.typekit.com/2016/08/17/flexible-typography-with-css-locks/
Putting it all together
:root {
/* breakpoint variables */
--bp-small: 25;
--bp-medium: 45;
--bp-large: 55;
--bp-xlarge: 65;
/* initial variable font values */
--text-wght: 375;
--text-wdth: 95;
--text-opsz: 16;
--text-GRAD: 0;
/* set scale values */
--p-size-min: 1;
--p-size-mid: 1.125;
--p-size-max: 1.25;
--p-lh-min: 1.2;
--p-lh-mid: 1.4;
--p-lh-max: 1.6;
--p-wdth-min: 85;
--p-wdth-mid: 92.5;
--p-wdth-max: 100;
}
p {
--text-wght: 400;
--text-GRAD: -0.1;
font-size: calc( var(--p-size-min) * 1em );
font-stretch: calc( var(--p-wdth-min) * 1% );
font-weight: var(--text-wght);
font-variation-settings:
'opsz' var(--text-opsz),
'GRAD' var(--text-GRAD);
line-height: var(--p-lh-min);
}
@media screen and (min-width: 25em) {
p {
line-height: calc(( var(--p-lh-min) * 1em ) +
( var(--p-lh-max) - var(--p-lh-min) ) *
((100vw - ( var(--bp-small) * 1em )) /
( var(--bp-xlarge) - var(--bp-small) )));
font-size: calc(( var(--p-size-min) * 1em ) +
( var(--p-size-max) - var(--p-size-min) ) *
((100vw - ( var(--bp-small) * 1em )) /
( var(--bp-xlarge) - var(--bp-small) )));
}
}
@media (min-width: 65em) {
p {
--text-opsz: 20;
font-size: calc( var(--p-size-max) * 1em );
font-stretch: calc( var(--p-wdth-max) * 1% );
line-height: var(--p-lh-max);
}
}
https://codepen.io/jpamental/pen/MGEPEL
“The role of the typographer has changed. We no longer decide; we make suggestions”
—Tim Brown
:root {
/* default light mode colors */
--color-bg: #f9f9fd;
--color-text: #414141;
/* initial variable font values */
--text-GRAD: -0.1;
}
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
--color-text: #f9f9fd;
--color-bg: #414141;
p {
--text-GRAD: 0.25;
letter-spacing: 0.015em;
}
}
https://css-tricks.com/dark-modes-with-css
:root {
/* default light mode colors */
--color-bg: #f9f9fd;
--color-text: #414141;
/* initial variable font values */
--text-GRAD: -0.1;
}
.contrast {
/* higher contrast colors */
--color-bg: #fafafe;
--color-text: #212121;
}
.contrast p {
--text-GRAD: 0.75;
letter-spacing: 0.005em;
}
.bigtext {
--p-size-min: 1.25;
--p-size-mid: 1.375;
--p-size-max: 1.5;
}
.spacing {
--p-lh-min: 2.2;
--p-lh-mid: 2.4;
--p-lh-max: 2.6;
}
.spacing p {
word-spacing: 0.75em;
}
.teaser {
grid-column: auto / span 1;
--p-lh-min: 1.1;
--p-lh-mid: 1.2;
--p-lh-max: 1.3;
}
@media (min-width: 67em) {
.teaser {
--p-size-min: 0.875;
--p-size-mid: 0.875;
--p-size-max: 1;
}
}
:root {
/* font stack */
--font-stack: "Roboto Delta", sans-serif;
--font-stack-serif: "Gimlet VF", serif;
}
.theme-alt {
font-family: var(--font-stack-serif);
}
.theme-alt p {
--text-wght: 400;
}
@media screen and (min-width: 25em) {
.theme-alt p {
--text-wght: 375;
}
@media screen and (min-width: 45em) {
.theme-alt p {
--text-wght: 350;
}
}
@media screen and (min-width: 55em) {
.theme-alt p {
--text-wght: 330;
}
}
IBM Plex Sans Variable
transform
16 files
960kb
into
2 files
233kb
!
https://github.com/IBM/plex/tree/master/IBM-Plex-Sans-Variable
https://fonts.gstatic.com/experimental/incxfer_demo
https://fonts.gstatic.com/experimental/incxfer_demo
https://fonts.gstatic.com/experimental/incxfer_demo
Cast of Characters
Input Mono Variable
by DJR
https://djr.com (contact for info)
Jost* Variable
by indestrictible type*
https://github.com/indestructible-type/Jost (some assembly required)
Roboto Delta Variable
by Google & Type Network
https://github.com/TypeNetwork/Roboto-Delta (use v2)
Roslindale
by DJR
https://fontofthemonth.club
Roslindale Italic
by DJR
https://fontofthemonth.club
Source Serif Variable
by Adobe
https://github.com/adobe-fonts/source-serif-pro
Source Sans Variable
by Adobe
https://github.com/adobe-fonts/source-sans-pro
Proxima Nova Variable BETA
by Mark Simonson
https://www.marksimonson.com (tell him I sent ya!)
Amstelvar
by Type Network
https://github.com/TypeNetwork/Amstelvar
Plex Sans Variable
by IBM
https://github.com/IBM/plex/tree/master/IBM-Plex-Sans-Variable
Plex Sans Italic Variable
by IBM
https://github.com/IBM/plex/tree/master/IBM-Plex-Sans-Variable
thank you
Jason Pamental
- https://rwt.io | @jpamental
- https://rwt.io/newsletter
- https://noti.st/jpamental/LiUQ8A
CSScamp Barcelona, 17 July, 2019
Dynamic Typographic Systems & Variable Fonts
Scalable, Fast, and Fabulous
Jason Pamental, web typographer
https://rwt.io | @jpamental