Default font style issue

[MikeTO]

I don't know if this counts as a regression, but it's a step back in usability from 2.5. This is due to the fix for "inconsistent font trait display order [AF-3654]"

1. Set Font Family = Minion - Font Style will default to Regular in 2.5 and 2.6 - good
2. Set Font Family = Roboto Flex - Font Style will default to Regular in 2.5 but to Thin Italic in 2.6

I understand that it's just setting Font Style to the first item in the list, but this is why Apple puts Regular at the top of the list. (More on Apple vs. Adobe in the thread below.)

Affinity now works more like Adobe but I don't think that's great because Font Style now often defaults to the style you're least likely to want. One other little thing Apple does nicely is maintain Bold between families. If you have Semibold or Bold selected and change the font family, it will set Font Style to Bold in the new family, too. It's not perfect though, Semibold will become Bold when you change families.

 

[Hangman]

On 1/3/2025 at 3:58 AM, MikeTO said:

don't know if this counts as a regression, but it's a step back in usability from 2.5. This is due to the fix for "inconsistent font trait display order [AF-3654]"

1. Set Font Family = Minion - Font Style will default to Regular in 2.5 and 2.6 - good
2. Set Font Family = Roboto Flex - Font Style will default to Regular in 2.5 but to Thin Italic in 2.6

I've tested this on Mac and Windows and for me both Minion and Roboto Flex default to Regular in 2.5 and 2.6 so maybe I'm missing something...

[joe_l]

12 minutes ago, Hangman said:

maybe

In my case (2.5.7) changing a textframe to my Favourite Milo OT the text is now Regular Italic. This wasn't the case in earlier versions, but seems to be fixed in 2.6.0. Other fonts I haven't tested.

[Hangman]

1 hour ago, joe_l said:

In my case (2.5.7) changing a textframe to my Favourite Milo OT the text is now Regular Italic. This wasn't the case in earlier versions, but seems to be fixed in 2.6.0. Other fonts I haven't tested.

So there is something slightly odd going on...

When I first launch Publisher 2.6 and apply Roboto Flex the Font Style defaults to Regular (as reported above) despite being 8th in the list (which is what tripped me up) but I've just tested all the Variable Fonts I have installed and as @MikeTO mentioned, they are defaulting to the first in the list so if e.g., I launch publisher and apply Roboto Flex to some text it defaults to Regular but if I then change the font to say Noto Sans it defaults to Thin, the first in the list and then change back to Roboto Flex it now defaults to Thin Italic, the first in the list.

This only appears to affect Variable fonts, all the non-variable fonts default to Regular regardless of where they appear in the list order...

[joe_l]

Perhaps Favourites should be a specified font variant and not a font family?

[Hangman]

It's a complete mixed bag in both 2.5.7 and 2.6, in general, for variable fonts, the first font in the style list is the selected font but there are exceptions, e.g.,

• Selecting Cabin in 2.5.7 defaults to Regular but Regular is 5th in the list
• Selecting Cabin in 2.6.0 defaults to Regular but Regular is 1st in the list
   
• Selecting Doto in 2.5.7 defaults to Black which is first in the list
• Selecting Doto in 2.6.0 defaults to Thin which is first in the list

[Affinity Info Bot]

An issue raised in this thread ("Inconsistent Default Font Style Selection for Variable Fonts") has now been reported to the developers by the testing team (Ref: AF-5466). Thank you very much for reporting this issue to us.