Futura PT Heavy's Weight Class

Miles Newlyn
Miles Newlyn Posts: 284
in Font Technology
I've a custom job in which I'm helping the client switch from using Futura PT.
They've many documents so I want to make the switch as easy as possible, so I'm matching Futura PT's style naming and Weight Classes.
However, the Futura PT's Heavy weight, which in stroke with sits between Demi (600) and Bold (700), has a Weight Class of 900.

Does anyone know why Futura PT Heavy has an incorrect style name and weight class?

Comments

  • John Hudson
    John Hudson Posts: 3,860
    My guess is that someone needed an intermediate weight, so PT created it and gave it a name in Russian that translates to Heavy, and then some automated production tool that sets weight class based on style name gave it the 900 weight class. But that’s just a guess.
  • Jens Kutilek
    Jens Kutilek Posts: 402
    Is the weight class actually used to determine the selected font style in the documents/apps that use the fonts? I don't remember all the details off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure e.g. InDesign only selects by style name, not by weight class.
  • Nick Shinn
    Nick Shinn Posts: 2,410
    edited October 13
    some automated production tool that sets weight class based on style name
    “Heavy” is designated 900 in FontLab 5.

    Usually, “Heavy” refers to a weight bolder than bold, but that was not the case with Futura.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 3,213
    edited October 13
    Jens Kutilek said:
    Is the weight class actually used to determine the selected font style in the documents/apps that use the fonts? I don't remember all the details off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure e.g. InDesign only selects by style name, not by weight class.
    CSS and the web routinely use numeric weight class for font selection.

    InDesign and Creative Cloud apps use it for sorting styles by weight; at least, they used to. AFAIK, they do not normally use it for selection, as such (but then what does that even mean? You select a displayed name or type a name). They might also use it when trying to map the selected style, when you switch the font family.
  • Miles Newlyn
    Miles Newlyn Posts: 284
    @John Hudson I think you're right, the original Bauer Furtura didn't have a weight between Demibold and Bold.
    @Jens Kutilek I don't know what kind of documents the client has or how they'll change the fonts, so weight class may be useful.
  • Jens Kutilek
    Jens Kutilek Posts: 402
    Thomas Phinney said:
    InDesign and Creative Cloud apps use it for sorting styles by weight; at least, they used to. AFAIK, they do not normally use it for selection, as such (but then what does that even mean? You select a displayed name or type a name). They might also use it when trying to map the selected style, when you switch the font family.
    That's exactly what I meant: Switching a font family in InDesign. I just tried it. When I have two families, one with a "Heavy" style at 900, and one with style name "Black" at 900, InDesign doesn't know by the weight class that those are supposed to be equal. When I switch just the family, the style gets set to a different style, in this case "Bold".
  • Jens Kutilek
    Jens Kutilek Posts: 402
    Miles Newlyn said:
    @Jens Kutilek I don't know what kind of documents the client has or how they'll change the fonts, so weight class may be useful.
    In that case I agree, match the style metadata as closely as possible.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 3,213
    Jens Kutilek said:
    Thomas Phinney said:
    InDesign and Creative Cloud apps use it for sorting styles by weight; at least, they used to. AFAIK, they do not normally use it for selection, as such (but then what does that even mean? You select a displayed name or type a name). They might also use it when trying to map the selected style, when you switch the font family.
    That's exactly what I meant: Switching a font family in InDesign. I just tried it. When I have two families, one with a "Heavy" style at 900, and one with style name "Black" at 900, InDesign doesn't know by the weight class that those are supposed to be equal. When I switch just the family, the style gets set to a different style, in this case "Bold".
    Ah, a missed opportunity there. Oh well. Since the InDesign dev moved from Seattle to India, I no longer have strong contacts with that team. I should try to re-establish those connections.

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