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Regarding variable fonts, they are unusable. While the master instances (maybe also other instances, I haven’t checked) are displayed in the style dropdown menu, the Affinity apps seem to read the metrics information for each instance from the main master. Which, of course, creates that kind of garbled mess @tatanka reported. (Other issues may be present as well.) Concerning the text engine, it is difficult to understand why the implementation does not make use of existing libraries. What are the expected gains of trying to develop a new text shaping engine, when a reliable and time-proven system like Harfbuzz is readily available? 😟

I'm assuming you can still use variable fonts in Affinity, but that you are just limited to a standard set of weights (normal, bold, etc). Or cannot you not use them at all? (I confess, I haven't tried.)

I know this has been previously requested, but I wanted to emphasise on the importance of it. Imagine I've spent hundreds of dollars on variable fonts and at the end I can't use them.. That's the case with a lot of us. But a bit of encouragement – you are doing a fantastic job! I love the suit and I try to explore it in depth (because it offers so much) so I can soon transition from adobe for good. I know that day is close 🙂

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums. You have installed the Variable version of the font. Unfortunately, the Affinity apps only support Static fonts. When you download the font from Google Fonts there's a folder in the download that contains the Static versions. You need to install them, instead.

Here are two more jarring omissions from v2: 1) Variable fonts support is missing, which in turn is connected to … 2) Support for complex scripts is missing. Affinity have to shift all their applications to the Harfbuzz text shaping engine. It’s their only chance to get it right. Developing on their own in-house engine is biting them in the ass now. The only thing for it is to make the change sooner rather than later. You get a sense of how much they care about typography when you look at the Typography-panel in Publisher. It’s a mess. The panel isn’t even a normal panel, rather some ad hoc abomination. The entire font industry is shifting to variable fonts. Soon there will be typefaces that will only be available as variable fonts, then what Affinity?

Those are the overlaps and looped corners used when creating fonts from multiple masters sources so the different styles interpolate properly. When Google Fonts uses their tools to build the fonts, they leave these overlaps in. Their position is that applications should handle this properly. To support variable fonts, the application must handle this properly. Almost all browsers now handle this correctly. Other desktop publishing applications handle this correctly. Static fonts in the original font developer repository usually remove the overlaps when they are generating the fonts from their font editor (they just check a box to remove the overlaps on export). This is why the static fonts from the original Montserrat repo have no overlaps. Affinity must fix this to be able to eventually support variable fonts. Variable fonts never remove the overlaps as they are required for correct interpolation.

Look at the letter spacing in your preview image above - which is definitely wrong. And in Export to PDF it will be a mess. And as you have discovered the style linking does not work. The macOS font picker makes it appear that variable fonts are supported when they are not - which is obviously confusing to users.

The issue is variable fonts; which Affinity does not support yet, using the static fonts for Montseratt works fine.

It only appears to work on the Mac because the macOS font picker displays the variable font pre-defined styles (instances), even though you cannot actually use them. Try making a test doc with all those listed styles. Will not work. What is supposed to happen when variable fonts are not supported is the application is supposed to display the default master. The default master in the Audi Type Variable font is the Normal master. So that is what is displayed on Windows.

Thanks for the quick response, that worked! I installed each of the static versions (i.e. bold, italic, bold italic) of the font and all are properly listed in the "font style" drop down. However, this appears to only be an issue with the Windows version. I installed the "Audi Type Variable" font on my Mac and everything works in the macOS version. Is this a difference in how Windows and macOS manage fonts perhaps? ===== Is there a quick way to replace the font used across all artboards? Since the document I created in macOS uses Audi Type Variable, I don't want to individually change the font in hundreds of text boxes.

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums. The Affinity applications do not support Variable fonts. You will need to install a Static version of that font, and uninstall the Variable one, if you want to use it with Affinity.

Just a guess but I think you may have downloaded a Variable font. The Affinity Applications will only use Static (one weight) fonts. Or... it could be the you need to shut down Photo and start it up again.

Oh no... Just struggled with my design and found out Affinity does not support variable fonts. Affinity, please. Anything, even predefined weights would do. I need specific typefaces that are available only in variable font.

Thanks Ash, V2 upgrade it’s truly great and makes me have certainty in the future of the apps. But there are still a few missing features which are basic and I hope Serif is generous enough to release them before v3. I’m mainly talking about Mesh or Freeform gradients, they’re absolutely necessary. Variable fonts and image trace are also greatly missed in V2. I have hope that V2 would still bring us these highly requested features that would make affinity apps even more awesome.

+1 I was also hoping/expecting variable font support in v2. As a typeface designer, my main use of this software is to make specimens and test my variable fonts. It's frustrating how low of a priority this still is for Serif (ironic that with the name 'Serif' they don't care more about the fonts 😂).

Glad I found this thread before I pulled the trigger - it's bad enough having to pay for .webp support but not having variable fonts is a deal breaker for me. I don't want to be waiting multiple years and paying again for v3 to get that. (Yes, I get there's a ton of new features and that v1 was supported and enhanced for years as well but when you don't use any of those features at all and just wanted .webp and variable fonts it's incredibly frustrating)

The font is probably a Variable font. The Affinity applications only support Static fonts.

Unfortunately I do not completely understand your post. Lexend Deca includes both static fonts and a variable font. Make sure you do not also have the variable font installed as the instance names in it will conflict with the font names in the static fonts - which can lead to unpredictable behavior. What version of Lexend Deca do you have? And where did you get it? If that is not the issue, please clarify your question(s).

well, I was in doubt whether to upgrade all 3 applications or not .. but the more details arise, the less I am attracted to purchase the update/upgrade. - "strange" application types that break my data-structure (drive 1 for the OS, drive 2 for applications, drive 3 for data) (MY computer, I decide where to install applications - not those ***** of Microsoft, NO Apps from the MS App-store) - none of the promoted features addresses my issues (mostly Usability-flaws, which still isn´t something Serif does care about, as is seems..) - new features are too sophisticated for my use-cases. - even the Demo-Version requires registration? I wonder if the basics have been fixed... Variable fonts? (nope.) improved usability of the straighten tool? (click+hold-draaaaaaag-release is stupid) did the mesh warp and perspective tools get additional handles which are accessible when zoomed into the image? is save/save as finally capable to cover the function of the export-menu? is the GUI finally scalable? (nope, still too tiny) are ALL interface elements finally mouse-over sensitve? (change color when pointer hovers above) Have the keyboard-shortcuts for non-english application-language settings finally been adjusted to combos that are easy to reach on such a non-englisch keyboard-layout? (e.g. these [ ] require ALTGR-8 or 9 on a german keyboard but are the default-settings for several actions...) are locked layers finally really protected from ANY change? (locked means locked/protected) Is it still possible to select tools even if the document contains no layers? are those notification pop-Ups finally moveable?(or are they still somewhere in the upper right area, colored similar to the background to make them harder to see?) Does Photo-develop Persona still tell me "please use the cancel-button" when closing the window instead of handling this window-close-event the same way as the cancel button by showing an "are u sure" window...? Can the e.g. curves adjustment window be resized? (made bigger, for more detailed adjustments) Thanks for TINY (useless) Layer-Icons. Thanks for new live filters layers... that require HW-acceleration.. is this finally 100% fixed on Windows? Thanks for "normals adjustments" - I did not even know that more than 0 people out there may need such a feature... Sorry guys... I am not convinced.

Since most typeface designers use stepped interpolation to produce the intermediate weights and widths of static OTF and TTF font families, saving the development file to a variable font becomes a no-brainer for them. For this reason alone, variable fonts are not going away. As type designers create more type designs, the number of variable fonts accompanying those static font families will also grow. The variable font format is wholly mature and one that I find enormously useful. It's an increasingly critical part of my work as a designer. However, because so many printers have only a superficial familiarity with the format, I always ask new printers about their level of experience with variable fonts and if their RIPs can handle them. When I get a positive response from those printers, I've never had a problem. When I get a deer-in-the-headlights reaction from the printer, I'll typically choose another printer or convert the text to outlines before sending it. For me, Affinity's lack of support for variable fonts is a deal-killer. Sadly, the lack of support eliminates the Affinity applications from consideration in my workflow routines. I was an early adopter of the Affinity suite, and I loved the possibilities I saw in it. As the proliferation and use of variable fonts began to take off, it seemed obvious that Affinity would incorporate variable font and, also, non-Latin-based alphabet support into Version 2. Unfortunately, Serif/Affinity dropped the ball. Maybe in version 3, but that could be years away. In the mean time, it's back to Adobe.

I can count the number of times I have used or seen variable fonts used on 1 hand. I work in print and design so get a lot of work from designer houses (not people with photoshop who call themselves designers). I think they are a great idea, but not something that drastically changes how people work in these field. Many fonts already have the gamut from light to ultra which I would think suits the vast majority of the world. Again I think variable fonts are a great idea and nice to always have options, not sure I would make such a big deal about the variable fonts not being in V2 myself.

No variable fonts support in v2 is a bummer indeed. The variable font format is not mature yet, but at least in its puberty 🙂 Variable Fonts – Support (v-fonts.com)

Serif would at most say "perhaps someday", if they provide any answer to that. Variable fonts are complex to support, and they probably have had higher priority items to work on.

Hi @salmanqureshi Variable fonts are not supported in the Affinity programmes yet.

The problem is quite simple. I am not able to use variable fonts installed on my system. I have attached screenshots showing that my computer properly recognizes the font however, none of the programs, Photo 2, Designer 2, Publisher 2, correctly recognise my font. And yes, this is the case with other variable fonts as well, not just one. Fonts were downloaded from Google Fonts. Running Windows 11 22H2. Downloaded all programs from Microsoft Store. If you need any other info, I'll be happy to provide. P.S: Sucks to not be able to create something on the first day itself. But I guess launching a software has its share of challenges.