Variable font design: making masters compatible for interpolation (Part 2: the Glyphs way)
Once you’ve drawn multiple sources (AKA “masters”) for a variable font, it can be tricky to make these compatible for interpolation (making intermediate styles between what you’ve drawn, such as intermediate weights). Here is a look at my current stage of making Name Sans Display Italics, and then a variety of ways I achieve source compatibility when I’m working in GlyphsApp.
Essential reading: https://glyphsapp.com/learn/multiple-...
I basically cover the same information that is documented in the tutorial above, but if you want to see someone actually doing it in real time, this video might be handy! Still, reading (or even skimming) the article will help explain things that I might leave out of my quick demo.
Contents:
0:00 Intro & video context
2:22 What are we fixing?
3:48 What is necessary for interpolation?
4:51 Making outlines compatible in Glyphs
7:17 Fixing outlines with multiple contours
11:43 Fixing outlines if they aren’t yet similar
12:30 Sorting multiple contours into the same order
15:23 Watch out for path winding direction!
18:17 Matching anchors
18:57 My next steps in the project, and a few more fixes
21:27 Conclusion, and why I personally prefer RoboFont for this