The Art and Science of Variable Fonts

Have you ever wondered why some websites load instantly and their text looks sharp and clear, whether scrolling on your phone or a computer? The secret often comes down to variable fonts.

This new font technology can adjust its weight, width, and style to fit any screen or design perfectly. That means faster loading times and a much better reading experience for everyone.

For designers, variable fonts are a significant breakthrough. They offer far more creative freedom than the basic fonts in a simple logo maker or website builder. This flexibility allows them to create unique, eye-catching text styles that make a brand stand out.

In this article, we’ll explain how to use variable fonts to create beautiful, fast-loading websites and logos that leave a lasting impression.

What Exactly Are Variable Fonts?

Imagine having one smart font file that can change into almost any style you want. That is the basic idea behind variable fonts. They give designers much more control over how text looks, going far beyond just bold or italic styles.

How they work

Variable fonts are an improved version of the OpenType format, introduced in 2016 by major tech companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Adobe.

Instead of separate files for each style, such as bold, thin, or wide, a single font file contains a range of styles controlled by adjustable “axes.” These axes include thickness (weight), width (variable-width fonts), and slant.

Designers can move these sliders to create different looks from just one font file. This technology makes creating and displaying fonts that adapt smoothly to other screens and designs easier while reducing the number of files needed.

Before variable fonts, designers used multiple files to get all the styles they wanted. Now, one file can do it all, giving designers a powerful way to fine-tune text exactly how they want.

The technical aspects behind it

Variable fonts use a special digital format that supports these adjustable axes. The most common ones include:

Weight: How thick or thin the letters are, from very light to extra bold.

Width: How narrow or wide the letters appear, which we call variable width fonts.

Slant/Italic: How much the letters tilt or lean.

Optical Size: Adjustments that make the font look its best at different sizes.

Designers can also add custom axes for unique effects. The real magic is how the font smoothly changes between styles. Instead of jumping from one style to another, it flows through all the in-between looks. This gives designers incredible control to craft the perfect text style for any project.

Advantages of Using Variable Fonts

Variable fonts offer several benefits that can improve design, boost website performance, and enhance user experience. These advantages are helping variable fonts become a major part of today’s font trends.

Design flexibility

Variable fonts give designers greater control over how text looks. They can adjust the’ thickness and variable width to change the feel and improve readability.

This helps create unique, polished brand styles that work well in different settings. By choosing the best variable fonts, designers can make a font that perfectly matches a brand’s personality.

Performance optimization

One of the biggest advantages of variable fonts is faster website loading. Instead of loading multiple font files for different styles, all styles, including variable width, are packed into a single, smaller file.

This reduces the number of server requests and the amount of data downloaded, leading to quicker load times, happier visitors, less data use, and even better search engine rankings.

Responsive typography

These days, people use many devices with different screen sizes. Variable fonts allow text to adjust smoothly to fit any screen.

Depending on the device, designers can use code to change font weight, width, and optical size. This ensures text is always easy to read and looks great on computers, tablets, and phones. Variable fonts are essential for modern, responsive web design.

Creative control

Beyond the common axes, font creators can add custom ones to variable fonts. This opens up exciting new ways to change how text looks and behaves.

For example, fonts can change thickness or width when you hover over them or respond to other elements on the screen. This adds a fresh level of interaction and creativity to web design.

Implementing Variable Fonts in Web Design

Using variable fonts on websites involves checking browser support and applying CSS to control font variations. Staying updated with font trends ensures your designs look modern and perform well.

Browser support and compatibility

Most modern web browsers work well with variable fonts. However, it’s still a good idea to have backup options of regular font files for older browsers that might not support them. You can use online tools to check browser compatibility and ensure your site works smoothly for all users.

CSS techniques

To add a variable font to your website, use the @font-face rule to define the font family and link to the font file. Unlike older methods, you simply specify the font format as ‘woff2’ without any special suffix. You can also declare the range of supported font weights or other axes like width.

Once the font is defined, you control its appearance using standard CSS properties such as font-weight (for thickness), font-stretch (for variable-width fonts), and font-style (for slant or italic). Use the font-variation-settings property to fine-tune any axis the font supports for more precise adjustments or custom axes.

For example, you might set a font weight with font-weight: 600; or adjust the width axis with font-variation-settings: ‘wdth’ 75;. This flexibility is a major advantage of using variable fonts and helps align your design with current font trends.

Here’s a simple CSS example:

By combining standard CSS properties with font-variation-settings, you can fully utilize the power of variable fonts to create responsive, flexible typography that fits modern web design needs.

Tools and resources

Many great tools and websites help designers and developers work with variable fonts. One is Axis-Praxis, which lets you play with the axes of a variable font, including variable width, to see what they do.

Websites like V-Fonts.com show many ready-to-use variable fonts, often highlighting the best. At the same time, platforms like BrandCrowd and Design.com offer custom fonts for unique branding needs.

Check out some of the custom fonts you can use:

The best way to understand variable fonts is to try them yourself. This will allow you to see their full potential and how they can improve your designs while keeping you updated with current font trends.

Variable Fonts in Modern Design Trends

Variable fonts are playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the visual landscape of modern websites and brand identities.

Adoption in branding and identity

Savvy brands use variable fonts to build flexible visual identities. Minor adjustments in font styles help maintain a consistent look across logos, websites, and apps.

This creates a strong, modern brand presence while allowing subtle variations when needed. Many leading companies rely on the best variable fonts and their variable-width features to create unique brand experiences and set new font trends.

Influence on typography trends

Variable fonts are changing the direction of typography by fitting perfectly with responsive design. Their flexibility supports the trend toward simple, adaptable styles in web design. Because their axes can be animated, variable fonts open new possibilities for moving text and dynamic storytelling online.

Accessibility and inclusivity

Variable fonts improve website accessibility. Precise control over letter size, weight, spacing, and variable width makes text easier to read for people with visual impairments, dyslexia, or those on small screens.

This helps designers create more inclusive online spaces, aligning with important font trends focused on accessibility.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite all the good things about variable fonts and their growing influence on font trends, there are some challenges to consider.

Potential for inconsistent rendering

While most browsers support variable fonts well, sometimes, they might look slightly different on different browsers and computers, especially complex ones or those with tricky code.

Testing on various browsers and devices is still important to ensure everyone sees them as intended.

Learning curve for implementation

Designers and developers used to working with regular fonts might need some time to learn about variable fonts.

It takes practice to understand the axes, the font-variation-settings code, and how to make them change dynamically, including precise control over variable width. Looking at examples of the best variable fonts and how they’re used can help.

Licensing considerations

Just like regular font files, it’s important to read and understand the licenses for variable fonts. These licenses can vary between font sellers, especially for using them on websites, in commercial projects, and if you want to change them. Always check the license, especially when choosing the best variable fonts.

Future of Variable Fonts

The future of variable fonts looks bright. More tools and platforms are supporting them, making them a key part of upcoming font trends.

Emerging possibilities

Experts believe variable fonts will become very common in the future. More design software will make them easier to use, with better ways to control their axes, including fine-tuning variable width.

Also, more high-quality variable fonts from good font sellers, showing off the potential of variable-width fonts, will likely become available. We might even see variable fonts that can do even more amazing visual transformations online, pushing the limits of what’s possible with typography and setting new font trends.

New ideas coming

As web technology improves, variable fonts could lead to even more creative and dynamic uses. Imagine fonts that change thickness or spacing based on how fast someone is reading or that react to the lighting in a room, creating a more personal reading experience.

The potential for smart and responsive typography is huge, and the best variable fonts will likely be the first to explore these ideas, influencing future font trends.

Enhancing online communication

Ultimately, variable fonts can change how we see and interact with words online, making digital communication more engaging, personal, accessible, and visually expressive than ever before.

The best variable fonts of the future will likely be the ones that push these boundaries, creating richer and more dynamic typographic experiences and shaping the future of font trends.

Embracing the Dynamic Future of Fonts

Variable fonts mark a significant leap in how we use typography online, offering exciting creative possibilities and faster website performance. Understanding and using variable fonts is key for anyone wanting to build modern, efficient, and visually engaging digital experiences that align with today’s font styles.

If you’re looking to harness the power of variable fonts, platforms like DesignCrowd can connect you with talented designers.

Beyond just fonts, you can also explore tools on Design.com to craft a truly unique brand identity. Their AI logo generator, business card creator, and other resources can help you develop a distinctive look that fits current trends and contributes to shaping the future of online typography.

Design smarter, help your websites load faster, and stand out bolder.