Variable Fonts

Multiple Master fonts were an idea in the 90s that has come back in the form of Variable Fonts. I find it interesting that so many ideas from the 70s, 70s, 80s, 90s are back in vogue. Neural networks? Virtual reality? Binaural audio? Automated layout algorithms? Kinetic typography in 3-/4-D? Gigantic display screens? But definitely the 3-d printing stuff is new. And neural networks really didn’t work at all back in the day. So yay 2018!

Nick Sherman’s variable fonts catalog is here. And the Wind VF is v cool.

You gotta appreciate the massive parameterization of this typeface. So many variables, and so little time.

But I’m a Futura fan so I was happy to see the replica, Renner.

And I wanted to get to using the variable font version of it — and I was happy to see that I just had to make it myself.

And I did! Then I used Eli Heuer’s drawbot variable font demo code over here.

So in the end I was able to do Ballio justice, like below. —JM

Sign up for the Resilience Tech Briefing with no more than 2021 characters, zero images, and all in plain-text.