[OTVar] Axis-Praxis, a new tool for testing variable fonts in the browser

Laurence Penney
Laurence Penney Posts: 50
edited November 2017 in Font Technology

I’m happy to introduce Axis-Praxis, my new tool for playing with variable fonts in the browser. It’s a simple typesetting environment where you choose fonts, move sliders, and press buttons for Named Instances to obtain precise settings on the variations axes built into the fonts. You can also click the axis buttons for an animation along the entire axis. When you begin you will find, pre-installed in the font menu, the four variable fonts built into macOS Sierra. At any point you can play with your own fonts by just dragging & dropping the TTF file onto the page.

Try Axis-Praxis here:

http://axis-praxis.org

Watch the video for a 5-minute introduction:

https://vimeo.com/189350146

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Comments

  • Peter Constable
    Peter Constable Posts: 161
    The video is a great demo both of variable fonts and of what you've created.

    One thing I'd ask is that we be communicating that the existing tools for variable fonts and the existing variable fonts are works in progress and don't yet fully implement the spec.
  • PabloImpallari
    PabloImpallari Posts: 806
    edited October 2016
    Great Tool! Congrats! & Cool fonts :smile:
    I have to start thinking how to integrate VF into the testing page too...
  • Khaled Hosny
    Khaled Hosny Posts: 289
    The first link takes me to facebook.
  • Peter Constable
    Peter Constable Posts: 161
    Khaled Hosny said:
    The first link takes me to facebook.

    Indeed, the correct link should be http://www.axis-praxis.org/.
  • Laurence Penney
    Laurence Penney Posts: 50
    Sorry for the messed-up link. If an admin could fix that I would be grateful.
  • PabloImpallari
    PabloImpallari Posts: 806
    Lauren, a suggestion: When moving the axis sliders, it will be nice to show the numerical value somewhere. So when you stop moving, you can see the selected value.
  • Laurence Penney
    Laurence Penney Posts: 50
    Thanks Pablo, it’s on the list for some updates coming soon :)
  • Jens Kutilek
    Jens Kutilek Posts: 361
    I don’t know how it is even possible, but I have not yet been able to access http://www.axis-praxis.org/ from at home (Vodafone). The server just times out every time. From the office, I can open the site just fine.
  • Laurence Penney
    Laurence Penney Posts: 50
    Are you using the same computer and browser version at home, Jens?
  • Dave Crossland
    Dave Crossland Posts: 1,429
    (I have always been able to access it from a variety of connections)
  • Laurence Penney
    Laurence Penney Posts: 50
    I’ve just posted some updates, which I hope you like:

    * Uploads are now to browser memory, not the server. This is much faster. You may also appreciate the fact that fonts you play with on Axis-Praxis do not leave your computer.
    * Multiple fonts can be dropped at the same time.
    * Drop targets are now the individual textboxes and font controls: change a textbox simply by dragging a font from your desktop.
    * Removed dependency on DropZone.

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