Variation and the Designspace

Related styles can be developed from a set of source designs called masters. Axes, such as weight or width, describe the changes between them; together they define a designspace. Interpolation calculates designs at locations within that space, allowing you to develop separate family members or prepare a variable font.

This chapter first establishes masters, layers, axes, and named instances. It then turns to the correspondence needed for a useful blend: matching outlines, transferring the intended data, and editing related masters together. Advanced techniques address local corrections, Sigma point trajectories, and bracket-layer switches, and extend shared components, filters, strokes, and brushes across the same framework. Previewing intermediate designs is part of the work throughout.

The Font Variations Framework

Build a designspace from masters and axes, then define the styles it should produce.

The Variation Model

Understand how source designs blend through interpolation to produce individual styles or a variable font.

Layers and Masters

Distinguish glyph layers from registered font masters, choose the main master, and manage their names and content.

Axes and Master Locations

Define axes, distinguish their identifiers and coordinate scales, and place masters at deliberate locations.

Advanced Axis Management

Edit nonlinear axis mappings and extend working ranges while assessing the limits of extrapolation.

Defining and Generating Instances

Define named instance locations and generate them as new masters or independent source fonts.

Working with Masters

Establish compatible source structures, inspect intermediate results, and coordinate data and editing across masters.

Interpolation and Compatibility

Understand the structural correspondence interpolation needs and distinguish basic compatibility from correct matching.

Previewing, Diagnosing, and Fixing Interpolation

Preview intermediate designs, read Matchmaker, and repair contour order, direction, start points, and other mismatches.

Managing Layer Content

Copy, synchronize, clear, or merge selected kinds of layer data across masters with an explicit scope.

Editing across Masters

Edit several masters together, distinguish matched edits from matched movement, and manage selection across designs.

Advanced Variation Techniques

Refine local variation behavior and extend components, filters, strokes, and brushes across the designspace.