For what reason name ID16 & 17 is being set even if it’s the same as ID1 & ID 2?
This is a basic weight axis family. The spec & your tutorial says “Only set if different from ID 1.” or “Only set if different from ID 2”.
I don’t think it is that rigid. IDs 16 and 17 are optional if they are the same as 1 and 2. Literally the spec says it the other way around:
If name ID 16 is absent, then name ID 1 is considered to be the typographic family name.
And a bit later it says (my emphasis):
The key information for this table for Microsoft platforms relates to the use of name IDs 1, 2, 4, 16 and 17. Note that some newer applications will use name IDs 16 and 17, while some legacy applications require name IDs 1 and 2 and also assume certain limitations on these values (see descriptions of name IDs 1 and 2 above). Fonts should include all of these strings for the broadest application compatibility.
The examples they provide leave out IDs 16 and 17. But I have not seen any adverse effects by adding them always. I do remember that we had a reason for always adding 16 and 17, but unfortunately I do not remember what exactly that reason was. I think it was something Adobe-related, something like a font not showing up in the right order or style linking not working across the family. I should do another test run one of these days.
2 Likes