Variable font changes to Italic when a custom axis value is set, without user input. Also, the Italic axis cannot be controlled.
This may be related to a somewhat similar Illustrator bug:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/46249144-variable-font-changes
Summary:
1. Variable fonts that have separate but related roman/italic font files are handled badly by InDesign (and Illustrator). In InDesign, if you set a custom axis value such as Weight or Optical Size, the font changes to Italic immediately. This issue occurs in fonts such as Roboto Serif and Apple SF Pro, which are well-tested, popular, and important by many measures. It also occurs in fonts that have internal data that is known to be good, at least as far as FontBakery testing shows. It doesn’t occur in single-font-file variable fonts such as Acumin or Inter, which have built-in "slnt" axes.
2. As a secondary but related issue, there should actually be an Italic slider or toggle for a variable font, if that axis is specified in the font’s STAT table.
Version of InDesign: 18.2.1 (latest as of May 25, 2023). Also tested in latest prerelease, v18.4.
Steps:
1. Set some type with a font like Roboto Serif [variable].
2. Open the variable font axes panel, and change an axis like Weight. The font will change to its Italic version, without user input. There is no clear way to change it back to Upright, without selecting a named instance like "SemiBold" – but that largely defeats the purpose of the font being variable.
Expected result:
A variable font should be able to have a custom weight value, without snapping to Italic. Likewise, there should actually be an Italic slider or toggle, if that axis is specified in the font’s STAT table.
Actual result:
It is impossible to set an upright variable font with a custom weight.
Test fonts:
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto+Serif?query=roboto+serif
Stephen Nixon
shared this idea
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Johannes Krtek
commented
Having the same issue with InDesign 19.5.
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Troy Leinster commented
Having the same issue as Stephen.