Letterspacing (?) as a variable in my singleline script

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

I'm working on single-line script typeface (as far in my own SVG format) for engraving purposes, and i want to use letter-spacing as variable value.

is the name "letterspacing" accurate?

Mark Simonson

You could use width since you are changing the widths of the characters, not the space between them (they are touching).

Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian

If you want to keep it simple use Width like Mark suggests; ideally I might call it Span.

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

@Mark Simonson @Hrant H. Papazian  Thank You. Most probably Idea for "Width" as "keep it simple" win   It will be hard enough to show CNC-users that a typeface can be variable.

Matthijs Herzberg

DJR's latest font, Extendomatic, contains a similar function. In the variable font, the width axis is referred to as "Tracking". Whether that's the most appropriate term is up for debate, but it certainly makes sense to me.

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

Matthijs Herzberg said:

... axis is referred to as "Tracking"...

You're right, "Tracking" could be a good term for it, but from my point of view is too confusing with the slider found in most programs and "bad tracking of scripts".

btw.  my new test of 2 axes - width (letterspacing) & stroke

Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian

Call the axis GOODTracking.  :->

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

Hrant H. Papazian said:

... GOODTracking. ...

good idea, especially since "bad tracking" will be available all the time in settings :->

Dave Crossland

Beautiful work, Grzegorz! 

I encourage you to use wdth and wght axes for this. 

Thomas Phinney

+1 to using width ('wdth')

Conceptually, it is a connected script with a width axis. No reason to invent something new.

Matthew Smith

I wasn’t going to chime in, but since so many people are favoring “width,” I feel like I should maybe share my opinion in case you’re interested in hearing an opposing stance.

As a graphic designer who uses fonts more than I design them, I favor either “letter spacing,” “spacing,” or “tracking.”

Just because the letters are connected does not mean there isn’t space between the characters. I would argue that there is the core form of the letter (which has a width), and then there is the connections between the letters which make up the perceived letter spacing.

In your first animation, I see your letters getting tighter not narrower.

This isn’t necessarily a hill I’m willing to die on (especially if you don’t see yourself drawing an axis with narrower or wider base/core letterforms), but I figured I’d share my thoughts in case you find them valuable.

Dave Crossland

One concern I have with a spacing/tracking axis is that it needs to work across the entire design space, and across all the kerning. 

I'm yet to see any demo font that does this, despite it being talked about since 2016. 

Has anyone seen such a font?

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

@Thomas Phinney  thank You

@Matthew Smith

[...]  (especially if you don’t see yourself drawing an axis with narrower or wider base/core letterforms) [...]

thanks for paying my attention. I will probably want to add such an axis in future and I would have to change axes names 

@Dave Crossland

One concern I have with a spacing/tracking axis is that it needs to work across the entire design space, and across all the kerning. [...]

don't forget about ligatures

Dave Crossland

LOL

Since you are planning to add such an axis in future, I retract my proposal. 

I'm curious what you propose instead of width.

In the parametric axes system, changes isolated to X and Y dimensions use that as basis of the first letter of the axis code, and then if it's effects ink (opacity) or space (transparency) for the second letter. So I will probably register something "XT??" for this with Google Fonts. XTRK for X Transparency Tracking? XTSP for X Transparency Spacing?

Thomas Phinney

Right, if there is a significant chance of having both kinds of width axis in the future, def save the one called “width” for the more normal implementation.

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

first "quick and dirty" prototype of normal Width axis made me sure that it is worth keeping the name for the future - cooperation of these two axes has potential
now I like the Span proposal of @Hrant H. Papazian more and more...

Dave Crossland

I think its good for users to have separate control of the 'X Transparency' changes within a glyph from the 'X Transparency Spacing' changes between glyphs, instead of blending them. 

The initial lexend.com fonts by Thomas Jockin did this, with a single LXND axis, and the latest ones at https://github.com/FontBureau/fb-lexend split them out.

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

first demo engravings:

and first pre-release on-line:  www.glukfonts.pl/g/LimpelkaSL

with Span & Width axes in Variables tab.

Thank You for all Sugestions!

Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian

Nice!
Congrats, and good luck.

Grzegorz Luk (gluk)

Hrant H. Papazian said:

Nice!
Congrats, and good luck.

Thank You,

I think I will need a lot of luck with my "TypoGuerilla"