The Serif Tax

Vector fonts, unlike raster images, are defined by mathematical points. More points mean larger file sizes. Custom fonts, often downloaded, benefit from fewer points, resulting in smaller file sizes. Let's test this theory.

We'll compare two Google Fonts: Open Sans and EB Garamond. While the difference isn't drastic, Garamond, with its serifs, has noticeably more points, especially in the serif details. This isn't limited to serifs; any design complexity increases file size. Consider the intricate design of the Bleeding Cowboys font – a beautiful but potentially large file.

For a practical comparison, let's examine the default "Latin" sets of Open Sans and EB Garamond (regular weight):

OpenSans-Regular.ttf	96 KB
EBGaramond-Regular.ttf	545 KB

While not a perfect comparison (EB Garamond might include more characters), the difference is striking. Since .ttf isn't ideal for web use, let's convert them using Font Squirrel's generator for a more accurate web-based comparison. The results, while slightly different from the initial .ttf sizes, confirm Garamond has significantly more glyphs than Open Sans.

To create a fairer comparison, I created custom subsets containing only uppercase, lowercase, punctuation, and numbers (common to both fonts), then converted them to .woff2 files:

opensans-regular-webfont.woff2	10 KB
ebgaramond-regular-webfont.woff2

Even with WOFF2's inherent compression, the approximate 2:1 size ratio is notable. Font size is a factor I consider when choosing fonts, alongside brand suitability.

This investigation was sparked by a blog post about the Ping font, known for its "human hand" drawing principle:

Whoa! A single stroke? While unlikely to be directly replicated in font creation, the concept highlights the potential for significant size reduction through simplified design. The "ExtraLight" variation of Ping, with its 244 KB TTF file, isn't as small as Open Sans, but a direct comparison is hampered by the restrictions on converting Ping to a subset.

The above is the detailed content of The Serif Tax. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!