Some Typography Links II

My typography bookmarks are overflowing again! Here's another curated collection of excellent resources for web typography enthusiasts.

Variable fonts are generating a lot of excitement, and rightly so. The design flexibility of countless variations within a single file is incredibly appealing. However, I'm most impressed by the performance improvements. The efficiency of managing bold and italic weights from a single file is a game-changer. I can't wait to tell future generations, "Back in my day, we loaded multiple font files!"

Mandy Michael provides a detailed analysis of the performance benefits, going beyond simply reducing HTTP requests. Even considering slightly larger file sizes, the combination of improved compression formats like WOFF2, font subsetting, and loading techniques such as font-display: swap; results in smaller overall font file sizes and significantly enhanced stylistic options.

Anna Monus also conducted performance tests with variable fonts, comparing the loading of 12 font variations against a single variable font. Even with a large Roboto variable font (over 1MB), performance gains were observed.

Roboto dominates Google Fonts, but Inter is a strong contender, boasting a widely appealing style that complements various design aesthetics.

Seeing a variable font control a smiley face always brings a smile to my face! Don't miss the initial "face-ness" slider.

Klint Finley's WIRED article explores the rise of high-quality open-source fonts, often backed by well-funded companies, yet driven by diverse motivations—sometimes pure quality. Like any open-source project, collaborative contributions, when managed effectively, can yield superior results. However, open-source doesn't preclude commercial viability, and profit isn't always the primary driver.

Speaking of open-source, Collletttivo is an open-source foundry with a dozen typefaces, including a variable font. The site itself is a delight to explore, with its interactive, movable "windows."

FontGoggles, a new Mac app, simplifies the exploration of font files, a task that's surprisingly complex. Its support for WOFF/2 is a significant advantage for web developers.

And let's not forget the brilliantly named website for font file inspection.

Font Match excels at comparing fonts side-by-side, particularly for large type and feature analysis, while Font Style Matcher is better suited for comparing paragraph text.

In fact, using Font Style Matcher for optimal font fallbacks is one of my all-time favorite CSS-Tricks. (Shh... don't tell anyone, but I'm compiling my all-time favorites into a book, including this chapter. Subscription required—it's a book, after all! Early subscribers get access to existing content, with more to come.)

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