Variable font weights don't match separate font weighs

1

Hi

I have a font with 5 Instances - Light(300), Regular(400), Medium(500), Bold(700), Black(900). I can export this font and have the separate weights. I have done this to create 5 woff2 fonts

I have used the Light and Black weights to create a variable font with a weight axis.

The variable font works as expect but there is a slight difference in the Medium and Bold weights.

So If I use the variable fonts and output the weights at 500 and 700 they are slightly less in the weight than the separate Medium and Bold weights of the font.

Is there a way in the variable font to force the values 500 and 700 to be further along the weight axis so they appear bolder

2

So you master coordinates are at 300–900 and the instance coordinates (not the weigh class) are at 500?

3

Yes the master coordinates are 300-900

In the variable font if I output the font at 500 it looks slightly less in weight then the Medium font

4

You could test it by dropping your VF on Samsa: Variable Font Inspector, setting the wght slider to 500 and click on ‘add instance’. The instance will appear at the bottom of the instance list, click on the arrow to download the instance. Then open that instance and the instance exported with Glyphs and compare stemweights.

If they don’t match, you’ll probably need an axis mapping parameter.

5

How do I add axis mapping parameter

6

Are the weights actually different or do they just look different? It may be caused by comparing the rendering of different font formats (OTF vs. variable TTF for example …)

7

For Axis Mappings, see:

8

got it working with Axis mapping

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