InDesign anomaly or Glyphs glitch?

1

When selecting text and trying to use OpenType features using a variable font in InDesign I noticed that the little OT icon shows ‘OpenType properties are not applicable’.

Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.20.46
Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.20.461396×1124 90.4 KB

But when using the Opentype panel features can be selected:
Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.24.28
Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.24.281920×1054 166 KB

However, replacing the OpenType variable with the otf’s shows that OT features can be accessed via the OT icon:
Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.34.59
Screenshot 2024-10-01 at 11.34.591780×1484 314 KB

2

What do you mean by this exactly? What is “the otf’s”? The otf’s what? Do you mean replacing the variable OpenType font with a static OpenType font?

3

Yes, OpenType fonts.

4

Not the most obvious of nomenclature since all the fonts (static and variable) are presumably OpenType fonts.

I can’t reproduce this with any of the fonts I have lying around as both variable and static fonts – the OpenType icon works equally well for both in my InDesign.

Have you checked your variable font in FontGoggles or similar to make sure the OpenType features are correctly exported?

5

This can happen if the text box contains fonts from more than one font file. Even if it is just a word space.

6

Thanks.