Index is a cutting-edge variable monospace font that marks a significant evolution in the realm of type design. Rooted in the legacy of IBM Plex, and drawing inspiration from the Duospace concept pioneered by iA Writer, Index is not just a typeface but a statement in typography. This font seamlessly blends the robust foundations provided by IBM Plex with the innovative approach of Duospace, extending into the variable font space with enhanced stylistic sets, OpenType features, and optical sizing optimized for both dark and light modes.
- Variable Font Technology: Index brings the versatility of variable fonts, allowing a wide range of weights and styles within a single font file, ensuring flexibility and ease of use for designers and developers.
- Stylistic Sets & OpenType Features: Enriched with more stylistic sets and OpenType features, Index offers extensive customization options to cater to diverse design needs.
- Optical Sizing: Tailored for optimal readability across dark and light modes, the optical sizing feature of Index enhances the visual comfort for users under various lighting conditions.
- Optimized Metrics for MaaS Typefaces: The metrics of Index have been meticulously optimized to align perfectly with MaaS (Modular as a Service) typefaces, ensuring flawless vertical alignment within UI components such as buttons and input fields.
- Refined Character Set: A select few characters have been thoughtfully modified to not only improve legibility but also to add a unique character to the font itself.
The original Duospace concept by iA Writer is a unique approach to typography aimed at enhancing the readability and writing experience. It combines the benefits of monospaced and proportional fonts, leading to a distinctive set of features:
- Hybrid Spacing: Duospace fonts use a hybrid approach, offering the clarity of monospaced fonts with the space efficiency of proportional fonts.
- Optimized Character Width: Most characters are given equal width, similar to monospaced fonts, but with adjustments to certain characters (like 'm' and 'w') to save space and improve text flow.
- Enhanced Readability: The balance between uniform and proportional spacing reduces eye strain and increases readability, making it easier to write and edit text for extended periods.
- Consistent Appearance: Duospace fonts maintain a consistent and orderly appearance of the text, beneficial for coding and writing, without the excessive spacing of traditional monospaced fonts.
- Improved Aesthetics: By selectively adjusting character width, Duospace fonts achieve a more aesthetically pleasing and functional text layout compared to standard monospaced designs.
This concept results in a practical, visually comfortable writing environment that caters to both extended writing sessions and technical tasks requiring attention to detail.
Index is inspired by the Duospace concept developed by iA Writer. MaaS is pushing this concept into the realm of variable typography. Index is based on "iAWriter Duo" and "IBM Plex", adhering to the Open Font License (OFL) by IBM, which underscores its commitment to openness and community collaboration. The IBM Plex project serves as the upstream project for Index and can be explored further here.
To incorporate Index into your projects, follow these steps:
- Download the Font: Access the latest version of Index from this repository.
- Installation: Install the font on your system or include it directly in your web projects.
- Integration: Use Index in your design or development projects, enjoying the full range of features and optimizations designed to enhance your UI components and textual content.
We are constantly looking to improve Index and eagerly welcome contributions and feedback from the community. If you have suggestions, enhancements, or wish to contribute directly to the project, please refer to our contributing guidelines or reach out through the issues section of this repository.
Together, we can continue to evolve Index, making it an indispensable asset for designers and developers alike.