Variable fonts arrive on Adobe Creative Cloud
Variable fonts have landed on Adobe Creative Cloud! But what are they, and why should you care? You can read up on the many advantages of working with variable fonts before exploring the unprecedented capabilities they offer — or plunge right in.
The originals go variable
The blunt corners soften the appearance of Oso Serif and Oso Sans, making them look personable and friendly.
Besides creating variable versions for classics like Myriad, Kepler, and Ten Oldstyle, Adobe Originals also introduces new designs in the variable font format. The weight of the amicable sans Pelago Variable can be adjusted to your exact specifications, while the serif/sans siblings Oso Serif Variable and Oso Sans Variable give you control over their width too. The versatile Acumin Variable — a neo-grotesque face bundled with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign since 2016 — has also arrived at Adobe Fonts.
Digital type pioneer Emigre goes back to its roots — with a twist.
Emigre’s Littlebit Variable reimagines bitmap typography by letting the user control the shape and size of the pixels.
Variable mavericks
From deceptively conventional-looking and useful to daring or even outrageous (but still useful), James Edmonson’s typefaces never fail to surprise and delight.
OH no Type Co.’s variable font releases on Adobe Fonts exhibit a wide breadth. On one hand, the dynamic Obviously Variable, the sturdy Degular Variable, and the geometric Retail Variable are versatile, multifunctional fonts. On the other, the comforting Ohno Softie Variable, the semiscript Ohno Casual Variable, the relaxed Irregardless Variable, and the squishy Cheee Variable with its unusual Yeast and Gravity axes have unique, surprising personalities.
Zeitung Pro’s optical size can be adjusted for the best possible results in sizes big and small.
Underware is a trio of typographic alchemists, explorers whose experiments push the limits of font technology beyond what anyone could (or would dare to) imagine. Zeitung Pro Variable is a sharp, clean sans serif typeface with an expansive weight range. The casual script Duos Variable emulates the fast scribbles on grocery lists and notes to self.
Global variables
Thanks to variable font controls, you can set Dunkel Sans to the exact width you want.
Minjoo Ham’s powerful Hangul display face Dunkel Sans Variable allows you to glide seamlessly between its original, dynamic style and the straight Glatt variant.
Gradually change NextExit Variable’s weight and round its corners.
Help people find their own unique way with Fontef’s NextExit Variable, a crisp sans serif inspired by Israeli highway signage. As the exclusive distributor of Zvi Narkiss’s classic Hebrew designs, Fontef turned the sans serif Narkiss Yair and the text faces Narkiss Asaf and Narkiss Text into variable fonts.
TypeTogether’s first variable fonts on Adobe Fonts cover no fewer than six writing systems.
TypeTogether’s popular sans/script hybrid Bree offers variable versions with a weight slider for its Cyrillic, Greek, and Thai script extensions. You can adjust the weight of the geometric Postea Variable, and the narrow Lektorat Variable can also be set increasingly tight. The serif typeface Atlante Variable remains readable when set small, thanks to its optical size slider.
Objectiv’s character set includes Cyrillic and Greek, while Effra CC offers Arabic too.
Dalton Maag’s all-purpose sans serifs available in the variable font format include the supple Effra CC Variable, the geometric Objektiv Variable, and the lively Highgate Variable. Inspired by art deco, Mendl Sans Variable and Mendl Serif Variable come in two style variants: the retro Dusk and the architectural Dawn. Mokoko Variable’s sturdy serifs make your words look confident.
The character sets of all Paratype variable fonts also cover Cyrillic.
Paratype’s first variable fonts on Adobe Fonts include evergreen favorites Bodoni PT Variable, DIN Condensed Variable, and DIN 2014 Rounded Variable, as well as contemporary sans serifs Nagel Variable, Gate A1 Variable, and Fact Variable. Users can fine-tune the weight of all of these fonts, and can also control Bodoni PT Variable’s optical size, Nagel Variable’s slant, and Fact Variable’s width.
A variable British flavour 😉
G-Type’s variable font additions — a multi-purpose serif face, a formal script, and a casual script — cover a lot of ground.
The optical size axis of G-Type’s serif face Sherborne Variable makes it work well as either a text or a display font. Copperscript Variable is a radically modern interpretation of vintage penmanship — Goskar Variable strikes the perfect balance between calligraphic and relaxed.
Personalize SideNote Variable by adjusting its weight, width, and slant.
Similarly, Jamie Clarke Type’s handwritten script SideNote Variable hits the sweet spot between easy-going and professional.
German and Austrian variability
Bouba Round feels as at home in children’s books and on candy wrappers as in annual reports and interfaces.
HVD Fonts’s warm and inviting Bouba Round Variable works well in whimsical, lighthearted contexts — but also in more sober settings like branding and app interfaces. The contrast between thick and thin strokes in Palast Variable increases spectacularly to match larger optical sizes, making it a perfect choice for readable small text and dramatic headlines.
Beyond offering the advantages of a variable font, Adapt is fully stocked with rich OpenType features.
Supertype’s aptly named sans serif Adapt Variable is, well, super adaptable! You can change this all-purpose font’s weight and width without being constrained by preset styles.
While Antonia is an all-purpose serif face, Firelli and Arnika are tailored for display typography.
Firelli Variable’s wide stance and chunky slab serifs, and Arnika Variable’s economic, sharp letterforms with a large x-height make for powerful titles.
Typejockeys outfitted Antonia Variable with an optical size slider to ensure it looks its best in both text and display uses.
Experiment with Antipol Variable’s Stretch and Width axes to create cutting-edge, futuristic typography.
Besides its weight, Phospho’s reverse-contrast sans Antipol Variable allows you to seamlessly adjust its Stretch and Width axes.
Eastern European variable fonts
Podium is inspired by modular and geometric wood types found in old Polish type specimens.
Capitalics’s extra-stretchable Podium Sharp Variable also has a Soft variant that simulates ink spread for a warm, affable air. Geller Sans Variable is a versatile humanist sans serif whose weight and width can be tweaked for greater precision and control.
Allotrope feels equally at ease in print and on screen, in sizes big or small.
Kostic Type Foundry, too, was inspired by wood type when designing the equally stretchable, powerful titling face Roc Grotesk Variable. When increasing Allotrope Variable’s weight, its inner shapes become squarer, producing an intriguing tension with the round outer shapes.
Variable fonts from Italy — ciao belli!
Xanti Typewriter is based on an Olivetti logo designed in the mid-1930s by Swiss Style pioneer Xanti Schawinsky.
CAST (Cooperativa Anonima Servizi Tipografici) added Distortion and Rotation axes to Valnera Variable, a sturdy serif font whose personality changes from text face to display monster. Interestingly, when increasing Xanti Typewriter Variable’s weight, almost all of the letters gradually lose their serifs.
Nure can be either a hardworking text font or a versatile display face.
The techy sans oook Variable is a reworking of Fabrizio Schiavi’s first custom typeface, originally designed for an Italian clothing manufacturer. Seitu Variable combines clean geometry with excellent readability. Thanks to its solid structure and Weight, Width, and Optical Size sliders, Nure Variable covers all your communication needs, from wayfinding to print or screen uses.
Stinger slides from Slim to Wide and from Thin to Heavy.
Zetafonts’s Bakemono Variable can morph from proportional to monospaced. The calligraphic display serif Arsenica Variable is infused with art nouveau and art deco sensibilities. Stinger Variable is an eye-catching reverse-contrast typeface with the workhorse attitude of a modernist sans serif. Stadio Now Variable, a revival of a reverse-contrast design by iconic Italian type designer Aldo Novarese, has a Devanagari sibling.
Variable Latin ambiance
The circular O in this otherwise condensed design gives Norman (top) a flamboyant look. Auster (bottom) injects a surprising personality into easy-to-read sans serif forms.
Its reverse-contrast structure makes Resistenza’s Auster Variable stand out from the pack. The contrast between thick and thin strokes in the elegant and fashion-forward serif face Norman Variable increases dramatically when making the font bolder.
Depending on their style, Sudtipos variable fonts have different capabilities.
Sudtipos’s elegant Inglesa Variable is Alejandro Paul’s interpretation of the copperplate script style typically taught in calligraphy classes. Based on an experimental design by the legendary William Addison Dwiggins, Mon Nicolette Variable allows you to make its fine strokes thinner for a refined look in large sizes. Reflex Pro Variable taps into the spirit of the Bauhaus to create a geometric look with adjustable weight, width, and slant. The display sans Antipoda Variable, inspired by the earliest grotesque faces from the late 19th century, explores extreme weights and widths. As its width increases, Magari Variable also becomes bolder, making it perfect for powerful headlines.
Gal Gothic was inspired by Morris Fuller Benton’s classic Franklin Gothic.
The rounded stroke endings in Blackletra’s neo-grotesque Elza Round Variable soften its appearance to make it more approachable. Gal Gothic Variable’s sturdy letterforms imbue your copy with confidence. Magno Sans Variable and Magno Serif Variable are a super-condensed sans serif/slab serif combo geared for headlines and posters.
Dupincel lends any text or headline a timeless quality. It comes with swash capitals and terminal letters for exquisite display typography.
Impactful ink traps give Plau’s sans serif Vinila Variable a distinctive look. Dupincel Variable’s optical size slider allows it to tell short stories in big sizes and long stories in small sizes. The geometric sans Carbona Variable is built for the digital world, from websites to app interfaces.
Estratto Variable is equipped with all the typographic extras required for setting immaculate text.
Isaco Type’s Estratto Variable is a classic-looking serif text face with malleable letterforms whose weight can gradually be made bolder.
The weight of all three TipoType variable fonts can be adjusted. Mozaic Variable allows you to choose between a geometric and a humanist variant.
Create arresting headlines and posters with TipoType’s Gazzetta Variable. The stylish, sober Rotunda Variable blends the best of three worlds — geometric, humanist, and grotesque. Based on the same principles, Mozaic Variable’s personality is more pronounced.
United variables
Sculpin is a sharp sans serif with chiseled letterforms.
Process Type Foundry’s Coordinates Variable samples characteristics from grotesque and art nouveau sans serifs and drops them into the constraints of a monospace design. Sculpin Variable’s high-contrast joins, and sharp cuts and terminals create a crisp text image. Combining neo-grotesque and geometric influences, Indivisible Variable pairs plainness and familiarity with formal warmth.
Thanks to its three optical size variants, Halyard performs admirably from the tiniest text sizes to the biggest headlines and titles.
Generous curves and a tall lowercase make Darden Studio’s slab serif Jubilat Variable suitable for headlines, decks, and sidebars. At once familiar and pleasingly distinctive, Halyard Variable is an all-purpose sans serif family in Micro, Text, and Display optical sizes.
Study (left) is a more traditional serif text face, while Aglet is a contemporary type system in three flavors.
XYZ Type’s three siblings with rounded corners — Aglet Slab Variable, Aglet Sans Variable, and Aglet Mono Variable — are each designs in their own right. They combine harmoniously to act as a fresh, fun superfamily. Based on a hand-painted alphabet published by Rudolph Ruzicka in 1968, Study Variable creates distinctive headlines and dynamic text.
From ’80s tech to modern medieval, JTD’s variable fonts span centuries.
Instead of having to choose between three widths and five weights, JTD allows you to freely access the entire spectrum of the squarish sans serif Transducer Variable. Elfreth Variable puts a contemporary twist on the blackletter style and is ideal for sportswear, energy drinks, cutting-edge editorial projects, music promotion, and more.
Along with its weight and width, Snug Variable’s x-height can also be adjusted.
ps Type’s convivial Snug Variable, a compact titling face with blunt corners, comes with stylistic variants to spice up your headlines and posters.
Tilden Sans and Tome Sans are self-effacing but not without character, while Tuppence lets its quirky uniqueness shine.
Delve Fonts’s Tilden Sans Variable aims to be no-nonsense and ready for work, but still stylish and friendly. Approachable with a professional demeanor, Tome Sans Variable has appealing, discreet letterforms that perform dutifully across assorted environments. While it retains the warmth and craftsmanship of its Victorian roots, the reverse-contrast Tuppence Variable has been modernized to fit today’s tastes.
Top: Aviano Copper’s wide capital letters with tiny, sharp serifs look majestic. Bottom: Evalfey seems to write a personal, heartfelt note to the reader.
Part of Insigne Design’s flagship Aviano suite, the luxurious and expansive Aviano Copper Variable is now available as a variable font. Influenced by retro scripts, Pauline Didone Variable is an upright semiscript evolving from a thin monoline to a high-contrast bold. The elegant Evalfey Variable brings calligraphic sophistication to wedding invitations and formal announcements. Winsel Variable’s small, sharp serifs stem from pointed brush strokes that conjure antique titles and posters. Soprani Variable has sleek, thin-waisted letterforms recalling the roaring 1920s.
Variable fonts from the funny pages
You may recognize some of these Comicraft fonts from your favorite comic books.
A swath of Comicraft fonts is now available in the variable font format. CC Deadline Variable, the stencil font CC Ultimatum Variable, and CC Regeneration Variable and its inline Levels variant adopt a geometric, constructed style. The traditional speech-bubble hand CC Mighty Mouth Variable bounces along the baseline, while the whimsical CC Dynamic Duo Open Variable and CC This Man This Monster Variable channel vintage comic books’ titling fonts. The informal sans CC Whatchamacallit Variable also has an adjustable width and slant.
Swell Type is the foundry of Comicraft alumnus John Roshell.
Also tapping into the comic book style are Swell Type’s variable fonts. Drawn with mostly straight lines, Jetlab Variable, Beachwood Variable, and Goodland Variable seem indestructible, while Hyperspace Race Variable and Silver Streak Variable project speed. The mellow Paradise Point Variable makes you want to break out the cocktails.
The Canada–Japan variable connection
Bagatelle (top) also supports Cyrillic and Greek.
Canada Type’s unusual Bagatelle Variable, drawn exclusively with straight lines, allows you to manipulate its Sticks and Balls. Borax Variable is a more traditional headline face with sharp features that can gradually be made bolder.
Originally hailing from Canada, Typodermic is now located in Japan.
Typodermic’s already narrow Bitcrusher Variable can be condensed even more to accommodate any line length. The casual slab serif Cornpile Variable merrily dances on the baseline. Inspired in equal measures by Bauhaus and ’70s display typography, Basenji Variable combines circles and straight lines to achieve a geometric look.
The Type Network foundry partners go variable
Kerns & Cairns folded all of Apotek’s 49 styles — seven weights in seven widths — into one handy variable font.
Kerns & Cairns’s strong, squarish sans Apotek Variable allows you to pick the exact weight and width without being limited by preset styles.
The contrast between thick and thin parts increases spectacularly as Marlide becomes bolder.
Kontour’s Marlide Display Variable’s sharp features and tight fit exude the charm of display typography from the 1970s.
The originality driving Fer Cozzi’s designs truly comes to life in her variable fonts.
Inge Variable’s innovative Slant axis can make the super-tight display and titling face lean forward and backward. Depending on your mood, you can have June Expt Variable evolve from Active — a display sans for general use — to Curious, a sensuous, art nouveau-inspired design.
Its slightly squarish structure makes Normalidad stand out against other, more conventional neo-grotesques.
Taking cues from classic sans serifs, CSTM Fonts’ Normalidad Variable is a neo-grotesque that can go as wide and as bold as you like.
IvyMode is a rare find in the sans serif landscape thanks to its high contrast and angled cuts.
Ivy Foundry’s flamboyant, fashion-forward IvyMode Variable dazzles with its elegant, contrasted sans serif features and inventive capital ligatures.
Both Massilia and Sigurd are outfitted with additional dingbats, like numerals in circles and arrows.
French foundry Blaze Type pays tribute to the legendary Roger Excoffon and his work with Massilia Variable, an original sans serif inspired by the iconic Antique Olive. Sigurd Variable’s strong construction and many alternates and swashes make it an excellent choice for both text and display uses.
Fit is reminiscent of the typography on classic jazz and funk album covers and posters.
After discovering beautifully hand-lettered maps by MacDonald “Max” Gill, DJR captured the liveliness and authority of his letterforms in Map Roman Variable. Fit any text set in the Latin alphabet (including Vietnamese), or in the Cyrillic, Armenian, or Devanagari scripts in any space with the super-stylized Fit Variable and Fit Devanagari Variable.
Dive into the wondrous world of variable fonts. Design to your heart’s content without the constraint of preset weights, widths, and other variations. Save bandwidth and use unlimited styles in web projects and apps thanks to the compact, all-in-one variable font format. What are you waiting for?