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Shantell Sans (2023)

shantellsans.com

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Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#31

Post by delta_p_delta_x »

jxf wrote: post #29
0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

I'm not familiar with Metafont -- is this what you're referencing? https://ctan.org/pkg/metafont?lang=en

Not the OP, but probably (please correct me if I'm wrong...) Knuth's claim was that a font's metrics could be described as geometric transformations and equations. I believe most of the TeX typefaces were described with Metafont.

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#32

Post by bradrn »

0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

Typotheque’s Dash has a very similar variable axis, though they call it ‘Speed’: https://www.typotheque.com/fonts/dash-casual. (For some reason you need to click on the ‘Variable’ box in order to see the full variable range.)

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#33

Post by amelius »

0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

Wait, does more informality mean that individual glyphs for the same character can be different even within the same sentence?

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#34

Post by WillAdams »

amelius wrote: post #33
0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

Wait, does more informality mean that individual glyphs for the same character can be different even within the same sentence?

Unfortunately not, that would require a random axis, or a contextual swapping based on adjacent letterforms.

Prof. Hermann Zapf's eponymous Zapfino has the latter --- I even included an animation of it in my paper on it:

http://ftp.tug.org/TUGboat/tb24-2/tb77adams.pdf

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#35

Post by WillAdams »

jxf wrote: post #29
0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

I'm not familiar with Metafont -- is this what you're referencing? https://ctan.org/pkg/metafont?lang=en

Yes, that is METAFONT.

You'll find it more accessible via METAPOST, and there have been font designs made using it. Better starting link is:

https://davidcarlisle.github.io/uk-tex-faq/FAQ-mfptutorials....

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#36

Post by WillAdams »

aetherspawn wrote: post #13

Do you think a corporate brand would get away with using this font site-wide? In an increasingly sterile and AI world, is a human centric approach a good thing albeit possibly unprofessional by current standards?

The local grocery store chain to me, Giant Foods uses a handwriting oriented sans serif font, Robert Slimbach's Cronos Pro (which was a favourite of mine until that rebranding....)

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#37

Post by mplanchard »

mplanchard wrote: post #11
jhack wrote: post #8

Is it weird that I want a mono version if this? Looks really great, really well designed.

I was also really hoping for a mino version. I have used comic-sans-inspired monospaced fonts for some time for coding, because I think they are extremely readable. This font is so beautiful, I’d really love to see it in my terminal

whoops “mono” obviously, but past the edit window now

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#38

Post by svat »

jxf wrote: post #29
0x69420 wrote: post #5

the formality slider (play with it at the google fonts page linked in the article[0]) is genuinely one of the coolest uses of a variable font axis i've seen in recent memory. it feels like we're witnessing the slow and steady vindication of metafont. [0] https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Shantell+Sans

I'm not familiar with Metafont -- is this what you're referencing? https://ctan.org/pkg/metafont?lang=en

See “The Concept of a Meta-Font”: https://gwern.net/doc/design/typography/1982-knuth.pdf

Re: Shantell Sans (2023)

#40

Post by albert_e »

mplanchard wrote: post #10
largbae wrote: post #3

Dyslexic daughter gave a big thumbs up, she definitely prefers this to Roboto in the example.

I am not dyslexic, but the roboto example also highlighted a very stark difference in readability for me! Especially after having gotten used to shantell sans reading up to that point, the roboto felt nigh-unreadable.

I also love this font -- it seems very readable and could be a good go-to in many places.

Having said that -- the speciifc image showing difference between this font and Roboto -- uses a lower contrast for Roboto -- which surely has an effect on its readability?

I wish they showed a more direct comparison without changing the contrast to introduce an extra element.

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