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by Klathmon 2151 days ago
They offer web optimized versions. The full variable font in woff2 comes in at 523kb, and then there are subsets available from there (reduced character set, reduced customizability), and you can even build your own font with only what is needed.
1 comments
seanwilson 2151 days ago
Are variable fonts supposed to have a smaller file size? The examples I've looked at have been bigger than including all the variations you'd expect to use of the non-variable version. Are there examples of a significant file size saving?

Generally with web design, you want to stick to a small number of font weights anyway so if the file size isn't smaller, what's the core motivation?

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rememberlenny 2150 days ago
It depends. The font rendering process is based around "masters" which can vary in count. One font could have one master for all the weights, or multiple masters - for the bold/normal/light. Depending on the master count, the size can differ.

The key thing also is the number of web requests. This is not a trivial detail. One variable font can be less web requests.

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seanwilson 2150 days ago
> The key thing also is the number of web requests. This is not a trivial detail. One variable font can be less web requests.

Is the number of web requests a factor if you're using HTTP/2 though?

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