Fonts and Typography OpenType Features and Variable Fonts 2

Question 1

What advantage do variable fonts offer over traditional static fonts?

Accepted Answer

A single file replaces multiple weight and style font files, reducing HTTP requests

Answer

Variable fonts consolidate multiple weights and styles into one file, reducing the number of separate font files browsers must download and improving page performance.

Question 2

What does the OpenType 'kern' feature control?

Accepted Answer

Adjusts spacing between specific letter pairs to improve visual balance

Answer

The `kern` OpenType feature enables font-defined kerning pairs, automatically adjusting space between specific letter combinations (like 'AV' or 'To') for optical balance.

Question 3

What is a 'registered axis' in OpenType variable fonts?

Accepted Answer

A standardized axis defined by the OpenType specification with a four-letter tag

Answer

Registered axes are officially standardized by the OpenType specification (wght, wdth, ital, slnt, opsz), ensuring consistent behavior across applications that support variable fonts.

Question 4

What does the OpenType 'tnum' feature do?

Accepted Answer

Makes numbers tabular (fixed-width) for alignment in tables and columns

Answer

The `tnum` (tabular numbers) feature makes each numeral the same width, so numbers align properly in columns and tables without misalignment.

Question 5

Which CSS property enables OpenType typographic features like ligatures and small caps?

Accepted Answer

font-feature-settings

Answer

`font-feature-settings` provides low-level access to OpenType features using their four-letter tags, such as `'liga' 1` for ligatures or `'smcp' 1` for small caps.

Fonts and Typography Practice Test

Fonts and Typography Practice Test

Fonts and Typography OpenType Features and Variable Fonts 2