Heaviest weight beyond heaviest master

Glyphs
1

Hi all

I have inherited a font to modify with three masters (ExtraLight, Bold, Black) exporting to 9 individual weights/styles – the heaviest style is ExtraBlack which is obviously heavier than Black – is this bad practice and how does it work being beyond the heaviest master?

Thanks

2

What is the axis coordinates setup?

  • Is the ExtraBlack style at the same weight coordinates as the Black master (for example: Black master: 900, ExtraBlack style: 900)?
  • Or is the ExtraBlack style on a coordinate beyond the Black master (for example: Black master: 900, ExtraBlack style: 1000)?

Both are possible with static fonts, but only the first of these options is possible in a variable font. The second option is called extrapolation. While extrapolation is possible in static fonts, it can lead to bad outline and metrics quality, so it should only be done with lots of care and without going too far from the coordinates of the masters.

3

Hi Florian, thanks for clarifying
The Black is 900, the ExtraBlack is 1000
I wanted to know if it is/was good practice, your reply explains this perfectly
Thanks again!

4

I strongly recommend to not put instances at hundreds increment. check the " Distributing weights" section in this tutorial: Multiple Masters, part 3: setting up instances | Glyphs

5

Thanks Georg – good advice – unfortunately most of my font work is modifying work done by others – sometimes rebuilding the files might be the better option