Variable Font Export Issue when using stretched components

I made an underscore using a stretched hyphen (180% horizontally) and exported a Variable Font, the result is an underscore with the sidebearings/spacing of the 100% hyphen so letters are being pushed closer to it.
ORIGINAL:
https://cl.ly/7acb3421e207/Image%2525202019-05-20%252520at%2525204.43.01%252520PM.png
Intention (decomposed underscore)
https://cl.ly/c4020fbb3b3b/Image%2525202019-05-20%252520at%2525204.43.49%252520PM.png
If I add the decompose parameter in Variable Fonts, the file size increases from 315k to 473k.

Maybe there’s a solution in order to keep the spacing in stretched components?

There is a bug in CoreText (Apple text rendering) with components. But this seems to be a bug in Glyphs. Can you send me the file?

There are two things going on. First, the problem with CoreText I mentioned already. Second, the scale of components can’t be variated. The first two masters have a scale of 180%, the rest around 140. The default scaling of 180% is keep for all masters so the component looks to big in most masters.

The second master (Cp Th It) has a slant transformation. That is again not possible to put in a variable font, so the position is not correct.

So no direct bug in Glyphs. Maybe it should have warned about this…

2 Likes

Thanks for the explanation Georg, a warning would be nice, for sure.
Best
Rodrigo