Should we use variable fonts?

Question

I encountered today for the first time a font that has a variable version (Noto Sans Gurmukhi). If you are not familiar with variable fonts, they are apparently the wave of the future. From the README:

Noto Sans Gurmukhi Variable Font
================================

This download contains Noto Sans Gurmukhi as both a variable font and static fonts.

Noto Sans Gurmukhi is a variable font with these axes:
  wdth
  wght

This means all the styles are contained in a single file:
  NotoSansGurmukhi-VariableFont_wdth,wght.ttf

If your app fully supports variable fonts, you can now pick intermediate styles
that aren’t available as static fonts. Not all apps support variable fonts, and
in those cases you can use the static font files for Noto Sans Gurmukhi:

The README goes on to list 36 static font files that the above file replaces.

• I am wondering if Paratext supports these types of fonts and if our publishing platforms support them (InDesign, AppBuilder, DBL).
• What advice, experience, or concerns do you have regarding variable fonts? Should we adopt them now in our projects or wait until the technology is more mature?

Answer 1

In my limited testing, Paratext could use a variable font, but without any of the extra weights (either the weights of the static fonts, nor the intermediate styles. So there would be no benefit to using a variable font over a static font family with Paratext unless Paratext is enhanced.

If you use the static fonts, you could use a lighter or heavier weight for the main text, if desired. But then Paratext will fake the Bold weight for use in headings, which is not ideal.

Variable fonts will appear the same as a family of static fonts. In applications such as InDesign, sliders are available to selected weights (and widths) of intermediate styles. See Using Axis-Based Font Families for more information. While that site is about static, axis-based fonts, variable fonts will appear the same way (for the most part).

While InDesign handles variable fonts nicely, PubAssist does not, nor does PTXprint. I don’t know about DBL.

The best use of variable fonts would be in websites, or in the apps from AppBuilders. Then, assuming the website or the framework used for the app supports responsive design a variable font might improve the site/app.

Mobile devices should support variable fonts, especially as responsive design is most helpful on a mobile device. That is, fonts could be slightly adjusted in weight and width depending on the orientation and size of the device screen. But ideally someone with expertise in user experiences and user interfaces should be the one to determine how a variable font would best be used for responsive design.

I don’t know if the AppBuilders would support the use of a variable for responsive design. Even if they do, you would not necessarily need to use a variable font with Paratext. You could use a static font in Paratext and print publishing, and a variable font for web/app use.

WSTech has discussed producing variable fonts, but so far the need for them in our context does not seem that strong, so we have not produced variable fonts.

Answer 2

Paratext uses a Firefox based HTML control to display project text. This control is based on Firefox 60 and from my searching variable font support wasn’t added to Firefox until Firefox 62.

I don’t think any updates will be done to our HTML control unless it is needed to fix a blocking issue.

John+Wickberg

Answer 3

So it sounds like the answer here is not for now. Install the standard two weights and two faces (if available). Typesetters and app builders will need to determine the best font(s) for their applications, which may be a variable font version of the font used in the project.