feature variations – 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 /

feature variations

Fonts with feature variations have axes of variation that affect features other than the shape of contours. For example: activating ligatures, swash forms, stylistic alternates, or other glyph substitutions. One common implementation of this technology is to swap in simplified forms of characters that might otherwise get overcrowded as the weight increases, like $, ¢, or &. Another example is to incorporate non-linear kerning to avoid glyph collisions.

Variable fonts tagged with “feature variations”

43 results

Work Sans

  • Work Sans
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
  • Work Sans Italic
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
100 900

​A grotty sans with a wide range of typographic features: Adobe Latin 3 character support, small caps, stylistic alternates, upper- and lowercase numerals, etc.

Tags: body text, sans, feature variations, grotesque, monoline, swash
Design:Wei Huang
Publisher:Wei Huang
Characters:Latin, Vietnamese
Released:2018-11-15
Updated:2020-02-02
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:weiweihuanghuang.github.io

Pappardelle Party

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
0 4

​A horizontal-stress, stencil, variable font that’s unusual because it’s a color font, but also because its variation doesn’t alter the glyph shapes like most variable fonts. Instead, color font technology, variable font technology, and OpenType contextual alternates are combined to cycle through multiple color combos. Users can generate versions with custom color palettes using DJR’s Color Font Customizer. (If the sample here is black and/or doesn’t change with the sliders, your browser doesn’t fully support variable color fonts yet.)

Tags: decorative/display, slab serif, cartoon, color, feature variations, horizontal stress, ornamented, straight-sided, unusual variation, wood type
Design:David Jonathan Ross
Publisher:DJR, Font of the Month Club
Characters:Latin, Vietnamese
Released:2018-11-01
Licensing:Trial, Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:djr.com

Marlik

  • أبجد هوز حطي كلمن سعفص قرشت ثخذ ضظغ
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
30 240

​A multi-script sans, influenced by both mechanical and calligraphic forms. The Arabic glyphs were designed by Borna Izadpanah with direction from Fiona Ross. The Latin glyphs come from Skolar Sans, designed by David Březina and Sláva Jevčinová.

Tags: body text, sans, feature variations, woman-designed
Design:Borna Izadpanah, David Březina, Sláva Jevčinová
Publisher:Rosetta Type Foundry
Characters:Arabic, Latin
Released:2018-10-30
Licensing:Trial, Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:rosettatype.com

Bradley DJR Variable

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
6 60

​A revival of American Type Founders’ 1895 typeface, Bradley. The original, based on lettering by Will H. Bradley, is usually credited to Hermann Ihlenburg. This digital version’s optical size axis covers the full range of original sizes, as far down as 6 points – rare for digital blackletter typefaces – plus a handful of stylistic alternate glyphs.

Tags: decorative/display, blackletter, Arts & Crafts, calligraphic, feature variations, optical sizes, soft corners
Design:David Jonathan Ross
Publisher:DJR, Font of the Month Club
Characters:Latin, Vietnamese
Released:2018-09-01
Licensing:Trial, Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:djr.com

Sudo Variable

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
72 700
0 1
-192 -64

​The variable version of Sudo, a monospaced typeface for coders.

Tags: body text, sans, some serifs, cartoon, code, feature variations, monospaced, multiplexed, multiplexed posture, multiplexed weight, retractable extenders, variable posture
Design:Jens Kutílek
Publisher:Jens Kutílek
Characters:Latin, Vietnamese, dingbats/emoji
Released:2018-03-28
Updated:2021-06-24
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:kutilek.de

Protipo Variable

  • Protipo Variable Compact
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
  • Protipo Variable
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
  • Protipo Variable Italic
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
-300 1000
0 650

​A typeface designed for use in informational design. Production of the variable fonts was handled by Irene Vlachou.

Tags: decorative/display, body text, sans, feature variations, inserat, neo-grotesque, optical sizes
Design:José Scaglione, Veronika Burian
Publisher:TypeTogether
Characters:Latin
Released:2018-03-05
Licensing:Trial, Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:type-together.com

Acumin Variable Concept

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
100 900
50 115
0 12

A variable version of Adobe’s Acumin with a basic Latin character set. It comes bundled with Illustrator CC and Photoshop CC apps.

Tags: body text, sans, CFF, feature variations, gothic, neo-grotesque, straight-sided, variable posture
Design:Robert Slimbach
Publisher:Adobe
Characters:Latin
Released:2017-10-19
Updated:2018-10-15
Licensing:Bundled
Info/fonts:blog.typekit.com

Zinzin VF

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
0 1000

A variable test font based on Cinzel and Cinzel Decorative. The swash axis gradually replaces the uppercase with swash glyphs and the lowercase with larger capitals.

Tags: decorative/display, serif, all caps, calligraphic, feature variations, inscriptional, ornamented, spur serifs, swash, unusual variation
Design:Natanael Gama, Adam Twardoch
Publisher:Adam Twardoch
Characters:Latin
Released:2017-05-04
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Zeitung

  • Zeitung VF
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
  • Zeitung VF Italic
    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
100 900
8 20

An OpenType variable font counterpart to Underware’s Zeitung Flex. (It is currently the typeface used for the interface of this website.)

Tags: body text, sans, feature variations, optical sizes
Design:Underware
Publisher:Underware
Characters:Latin
Released:2016-11-17
Updated:2019-02-14
Licensing:Paid/commercial
Info/fonts:underware.nl

Adobe Variable Font Prototype

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
200 900
0 100

Adobe Variable Font Prototype is derived from Source Serif Pro for testing environments that aim to support variable fonts. Released before Source Serif Variable, it includes a contrast axis not represented in other common public versions of Source Serif – most visible with heavier weights.

Tags: body text, serif, ball terminals, CFF, feature variations, teardrop terminals
Design:Frank Grießhammer
Publisher:Adobe
Characters:Latin
Released:2016-11-13
Updated:2020-04-17
Licensing:Open source
Info/fonts:github.com

Skia

  • ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
    abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789
0.48 3.2
0.62 1.3

​Skia is, in many ways, the grandparent of modern OpenType variable fonts. Matthew Carter’s Latin successor to his lesser-known Cadmus Greek, Skia was the first of the GX fonts that allowed font variation functionality. Developed for Apple, it has been bundled with their operating systems since System 7.5 in 1994. In more recent OS’s, only the named instances of Skia’s stylistic variations are exposed in the system’s font interface, without variable controls. However, the font still contains data for fluid variation, including stylistic extremes of weight and width beyond those offered as named instances.

Tags: decorative/display, sans, calligraphic, feature variations, flared/concave, inscriptional, spurless
Design:Matthew Carter
Publisher:Apple
Characters:Latin
Released:1994-09-12
Licensing:Bundled
Info/fonts:wikipedia.org