proof of concept – Variable Fonts

Variable Fonts v0.2

A simple resource for finding and trying variable fonts

⚠️ Notice: As a showcase of variable fonts, this site requires a web browser that supports OpenType font variation technology. It looks like your browser doesn’t, so please consider upgrading to one that does (the latest versions of Chrome work well, even on older operating systems). Otherwise, the font samples below will only appear as static fonts.

Tags /

proof of concept

Variable fonts tagged with “proof of concept”

11 results

Width & Vertical Width VF

  • かなABC漢字
    あAB漢字12国
1 1000
1 1000

A special-purpose font that demonstrates the relationships between variable “width” axes for use with different writing directions. For example, horizontal layout is typical with Western characters (represented as hollow rectangles in this font), but vertical layout is often used with some Asian characters (represented as solid rectangles), and it’s possible to combine aspects of both in different ways. This can make the relationship between different glyphs’ width, height, and rotation complicated. Ken Lunde explains more in the article introducing the font.

Tags: CFF, dingbats, proof of concept, monospaced, polygonal, rectangular, straight-sided, unusual variation
Design:Ken Lunde
Publisher:Adobe
Characters:dingbats/emoji, Pan-Unicode
Released:2019-06-19
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

White On Black VF

  • White On Black VF
    ㊎
  • Black On White VF
    ㊎
1 1000

White On Black VF is a special-purpose variable font with just one glyph (㊎) demonstrating an issue related to the non-zero winding rule used for rendering fonts. The issue is especially problematic when negative glyphs are reversed out of a positive background shape. The weight axis also shows how the technique for avoiding the problem with static fonts – removing overlaps – isn’t a viable solution for variable fonts because the topology of overlapping shapes may change across variations. The counterpart font, Black On White VF, is made with the same shapes but with an additional circular path, showing how the issue is not present with more typical positive-on-negative glyphs. The fonts were produced by Ken Lunde using a glyph designed by Ryoko Nishizuka.

Tags: sans, CFF, dingbats, proof of concept, multiplexed, woman-designed
Design:Ryoko Nishizuka
Publisher:Adobe
Characters:East Asian / CJK
Released:2019-05-28
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

CSTM Xprmntl 03

  • abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0213456789
    абвгдеёжзийклмнопрстуфхцчшщъыьэюя
0 950

An experimental typeface that embraces the strange results of interpolating between blackletter and early Cyrillic ustav forms. Offered with discounted pricing while it’s still a work in progress.

Tags: decorative/display, serif, sans, blackletter, calligraphic, proof of concept, pinched joints, polygonal, retractable serifs, sharp, unusual variation, ustav, wavy/wiggly
Design:CSTM Fonts
Publisher:CSTM Fonts
Characters:Cyrillic, Latin (limited)
Released:2019-02-21
Licensing:Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:futurefonts.xyz

Source Han VF Proto

  • Source Han VF Proto
    No sample available
  • Source Han Serif VF Proto
    No sample available
  • Source Han Sans VF Proto
    No sample available
200 900
75 100

These prototype fonts were built by Ken Lunde and his colleagues at Adobe for developers to test support for “variable font collections” that combine the technologies for both variable fonts and font collections. The fonts simulate the structure (styles, glyphs, character mapping, features, etc) of Source Han (Serif & Sans) and Noto CJK, but only contain a dozen or so functional glyphs, repeated thousands of times. Lunde’s introduction explains how variable font collections can greatly reduce file sizes for type systems with expansive character support, like Pan-CJK fonts for typesetting East Asian scripts.

Tags: serif, sans, CFF, proof of concept
Design:Adobe
Publisher:Adobe
Characters:East Asian / CJK, Hangul, Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, dingbats/emoji, Vietnamese
Released:2019-02-01
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Emotional Type

  • emotional
-1000 1000

A proof-of-concept experiment using font variations to communicate a continuous range of emotional expression. The font only supports an very limited character set (just enough to spell “emotional”).

Tags: decorative/display, sans, script, calligraphic, handwriting, proof of concept, monoline, neo-grotesque, polygonal, retractable serifs, rounded, sharp, unusual variation, wavy/wiggly, woman-designed
Design:Promphan Suksumek
Publisher:Promphan Suksumek
Characters:Latin (limited)
Released:2017-09-14
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:emotionaltype.org

Decovar

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000
0 1000

​Decovar is an experimental typeface with many unusual axes that allow for a large range of stylistic variation.

Tags: decorative/display, serif, slab serif, sans, geometric, all caps, Art Deco, fat-face, inline, inscriptional, proof of concept, monoline, ornamented, retractable serifs, rounded, sharp, spur serifs, soft corners, stub serifs, unusual variation, wedge serif
Design:David Berlow
Publisher:Font Bureau
Characters:Latin (limited)
Released:2017-02-07
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Variable Poo Demo

  • 💩
100 900

The world’s first variable color font release, containing only one character: the pile of poo emoji ?. (If the poo appears all black and/or doesn’t move with the slider, your browser doesn’t fully support variable color fonts yet.)

Tags: decorative/display, animation, cartoon, color, dingbats, proof of concept, unusual variation
Design:Roel Nieskens, David Jonathan Ross
Publisher:PixelAmbacht
Characters:dingbats/emoji
Released:2017-01-24
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Amstelvar

  • Amstelvar
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
    АБВГДЕЖЗИЙКЛМНОПРСТУФХЦЧШЩЪЫЬЭЮЯ
    абвгдежзийклмнопрстуфхцчшщъыьэюя
    ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩ
    αβγδεζηθικλμνξοπρσςτυφχψω
  • Amstelvar Italic
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
    АБВГДЕЖЗИЙКЛМНОПРСТУФХЦЧШЩЪЫЬЭЮЯ
    абвгдежзийклмнопрстуфхцчшщъыьэюя
    ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩ
    αβγδεζηθικλμνξοπρσςτυφχψω
100 900
50 125
8 144
-300 500
324 640
18 263
15 132
420 570
500 1000
500 983
-500 -138
425 1000

​Amstelvar is an exercise in variable weight, contrast, and proportions. Positive and negative forms can be manipulated as separate axes, as well as a large array of other variables. It is an experimental work in progress so can produce unusual results.

Tags: decorative/display, body text, serif, slab serif, consistent counters, fat-face, proof of concept, multiplexed, multiplexed weight, optical sizes, retractable extenders, retractable serifs, sharp, unusual variation, variable lowercase height, wedge serif
Design:David Berlow
Publisher:Font Bureau
Characters:Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Vietnamese
Released:2016-12-16
Updated:2021-06-03
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Dunbar Tall n

  • Dunbar Tall n
    n
  • Dunbar Tall n error
    n
50 260

​This single-glyph experiment was the first font ever offered for retail licensing with the OpenType font variations technology. Priced at $1, it contains a single “n” from the Dunbar type family, and is available in an “error” version with interpolation errors.

Tags: sans, proof of concept, unusual variation
Design:CJ Dunn
Publisher:CJ Type
Characters:Latin (limited)
Released:2016-09-19
Licensing:Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:cjtype.com

Zycon

  • ☀🕛🚴🦎🦉🏵🔒⌚🖐🐕🐢🐈✯🌝⬤➟💡
0 1
0 1
0 1
0 1
-1 1
-1 1

Zycon demonstrates the flexibility of variable fonts to manipulate forms beyond the typical axes of typographic variation. It comes from the first generation of GX variable fonts in the early 1990s, and was more recently revived to test support for OpenType font variations technology.

Tags: decorative/display, animation, cartoon, dingbats, proof of concept, rotation, unusual variation
Design:David Berlow
Publisher:Font Bureau
Characters:dingbats/emoji
Released:2016-09-08
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com