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adobe-fonts / source-code-pro

Monospaced font family for user interface and coding environments
https://adobe-fonts.github.io/source-code-pro/
SIL Open Font License 1.1
19.73k stars 1.62k forks source link

Increase x-height in default font #333

Open D0J0P opened 2 months ago

D0J0P commented 2 months ago

In #318 I showed an image of SCP compared to JetBrains Mono and Go Mono to compare the x-heights, with JB Mono on top, SCP in the middle and Go Mono at the bottom: 2024-04-05-000957_1920x1080_scrot

In that issue, the conclusion was to add a variable font where the user can customize the x-height, which I'm not sure how that works. I would like it if the default font itself could have an increased x-height comparable with JB Mono and Go Mono. Taller x-heights are great for UIs and make text on screens more readable, and that's a reason people love fonts like JB Mono, but I like the style of SCP.

Go Mono has an x-height of 53% it's body size..

pauldhunt commented 2 months ago

@D0J0P thanks for your input. TBH when I was designing Source Code the Font, I intentionally chose a shorter x-height to give the ascenders more ‘room to breathe’ and give the design ‘a more bookish feel’. These are aspects of the design that I personally appreciate when having to read code. I do not think that I will modify the default design to accommodate for an alternate preference, particularly as you have pointed out that this difference is a point of differentiation from other similar coding fonts. However, in addition to adding a variable design axis (which would work in applications that support variable fonts), I would plan to provide additional static fonts with taller x-height at the same time. This solution would not implement the changes that you are asking for here to the default design, but would allow users who wish to use alternate versions with taller x-height.

D0J0P commented 2 months ago

Thanks for letting me know. That sounds awesome on the separate static fonts that will come with taller x-heights, hopefully to match the other mono fonts we have now. I will definitely use SCP in some form or another in my Arch + DWM rice!