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by seanwilson 2150 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?
1 comments
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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