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Some Google font doesn't have Semibold font type

I am using google font for my app development.

I want to use semibold font, but google font doesn't have semibold font. is there a workaround to use semibold font.

for example

OpenSans (semibold) font - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Open+Sans

Roboto (Doesn't have semibold font) - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto

Please help.

Solution

  • It's true that Roboto currently doesn't provide a dedicated semibold/600 font-weight.

    But these intermediate weights are not standardized – so it's more important to choose a font-family providing the desired visual font-weight.

    Open Sans semibold 600
    Roboto medium 500
    Montserrat semibold 600

    Example: Open sans, Roboto, Montserrat

    As you can see, the numerical font-weights don't necessarily result in comparable visual levels of "boldness".

    Roboto variable font?

    Actually there is already an available Roboto variable font: Roboto Flex
    Unfortunately, there is currently no way to download more fine grained intermediate styles as static font files (like e.g. Open Sans).

    But it is quite likely, that google fonts will also provide/update the currently available Roboto font-family in the near future.

    But it's also important to understand that these updates will only happen, if the actual font designers can afford to update freely available fonts (So "google fonts" are not created by google itself).

    In other words – there's no way to "automagically" generate proper variable fonts. Even though the main concept of interpolation has been used for decades in font design (E.g. Variable Font's predecessor was Adobe's Multiple Master concept – not the same but quite similar).

    So, it's still tricky, but more and more fonts will eventually support even more style variations.