Last year we released the Zed type system. Today, it gets better.

Without exaggeration, Zed one of the most complex typeface systems ever built¹. With four variable design axes plus an additional optical variant, it spans 558 static fonts, and the variable fonts give you access to everything in between. Every new script multiplies the scale of the project. At the time of writing, Zed supports Latin, Armenian, Chinese, Cyrillic, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese and Korean—a total of 3,376 styles—and we’re currently working on 17 additional scripts.

That sheer volume makes testing and quality assurance brutal. When we released Zed in 2024, we focused primarily on the static fonts: traditional files that represent a single fixed style (Regular, Bold Italic, Condensed Light, and so on). Since then, we’ve continued proofing and refining the variable fonts—the parametrically controlled versions that let you choose, for example, slightly rounded rather than “rounded on/off,” or any value between 0 and 100. With four axes in play, there are tens of thousands of possible instances for every script, and they all need to behave predictably. Since release, we’ve made outline and interpolation improvements across the family, now published as version 2.0.

Here’s what we refined.

Smoother width transitions in Zed Display

Zed Display spans from Extra Compressed to Extra Wide. At normal widths, curves can be more organic and asymmetrical. As forms get narrower, the underlying geometry shifts and needs tighter control to avoid awkward joins, collapsing counters, or uneven rhythm.

To make the transition feel natural throughout the width axis, we added additional design sources and adjusted proportions so key shapes stay stable as the font compresses and expands.

Improved rounding behaviour—and better rendering in Adobe apps

Zed Display also includes an unusually extensive rounding axis. During testing we found some unexpected behaviour in certain environments.

A particular shape would render beautifully when slanted in web browsers and in apps using Apple’s Core Text. But in Adobe applications such as InDesign or Illustrator, the same instance could show unwanted bumps—artefacts that didn’t match the outlines defined in the font. In short: some renderers struggle to evaluate complex variable interpolation with multiple axes at full precision. We tried adjusting outlines, but it didn’t solve the problem. What did help was increasing the font’s UPM (Units Per Em)—effectively raising the internal coordinate resolution. By quadrupling the coordinate grid, we improved how those shapes rasterise in Adobe apps, without changing the intended visual result.

Additional language support

At Typotheque, we collaborate with marginalised communities to ensure their languages are represented accurately and respectfully in type. We run an ongoing programme focused on Indigenous North American languages, and the findings from that work have been implemented in Zed.

Zed now includes IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) characters commonly required for many First Nations orthographies—so you can set linguistic and educational text with the full phonetic detail it needs.

File sizes: powerful, but choose the right VF

One of the biggest advantages of variable fonts is efficiency: a single file can replace many static fonts. That’s true for Zed as well—but because the system covers so many styles, file sizes can still get substantial.

If you purchase the full Zed collection (the Zed suite), you receive several variable font files. The largest—ZedDisplaySuiteVF.ttf—is 7,2 MB. The webfont version is 3,1 MB. That’s a large webfont, but keep in mind it unlocks 486 individual fonts; as separate WOFF2 files, each would be roughly 150 KB. To make deployment easier, we also provide smaller variable-font builds that reduce the axis/style set:

This matters for the web, but also for desktop workflows: large variable fonts can slow down apps like InDesign. Before installing, consider which VF build fits your needs. We also allow subsetting webfonts, meaning, you can reduce the character set of the webfonts, which reduces the file size significatly. Simply login to your online account, go to My Webfonts, click to Edit your project and then select Customise, to be able to choose your custom Character set.

Custom static instances — if you need them

If you license a variable font from Typotheque, you can also generate custom static instances—directly in your online account—tailored to the exact settings you want.

Update availability

As always, updates are free for existing license holders. Log in to your online account, download the latest version (2.0), and remove the older version from your system before installing the new files. Enjoy, and let us know how it works for you. 🧡