Post #1490274

2026-03-18 03:37 UTC

@benkiel @behdad @onpaperwings @tphinney Tiro variable fonts actually cost more than the whole family of static fonts. I figure if someone is choosing to purchase the variable font rather than the family of static fonts, they are paying for the additional value of variability and complete design space access. I calculate the price of variable fonts as +10% per axis over the price of the static family. We have not sold any variable licenses.😁

Replies (1)

@TiroTypeworks@typo.social 2026-03-18 03:46

@benkiel @behdad @onpaperwings @tphinney I think this is a hugely valuable technology — especially for the web — that has largely left the traditional professional design market for fonts behind. This doesn’t surprise me, because I still encounter designers who don’t have a clue what they can do with OpenType Layout features with the apps and fonts that they already have, and that technology has now been around for almost thirty years. We sell far more individual font licenses than we do full family licenses. Most designers only need a couple of weights for a job, so neither a complete static family nor a variable font is economically attractive. Interestingly, I also see a lot of downloads of individual OFL fonts, even though the whole family/variable is free.🤷

Open ##1490275