FontLab TV: 50-hour variable font course now available
FontLab TV has published a 50-hour video course on variable font design, organized into 25 playlists. It runs from absolute fundamentals — coordinates, contours, metrics — through production, hinting, export, and font business basics.
The course was created and directed by Alexander Kapusta (@YourFontFetish) and co-produced by FontLab Ltd. All content is on YouTube.
Curriculum overview. The 25 modules cover:
- Foundational concepts: the coordinate system, contour construction, metrics and sidebearings
- Intermediate techniques: variable fonts and master setup, Cyrillic design, diacritic and mark attachment
- OpenType features: substitution rules, contextual alternates, complex scripts
- Production: font testing, hinting for screen and print, export configuration, quality auditing
- Business: licensing structures, copyright basics, revenue models
Who it is for. The course is structured sequentially, but individual playlists are self-contained enough to work as reference material for designers with some type design background. The variable font modules are worth watching even if you skip the early sections.
Format. Video, YouTube, free. The FontLab TV page at fontlab.tv links to each playlist in order.
FontLab 8 is used throughout. At 50 hours, this is one of the more comprehensive publicly available type design curricula — comparable in scope to paid courses from dedicated type design programs.