The font-variant-alternates property in CSS allows developers to access and use alternate glyphs in a font. Alternate glyphs are special variations of characters that a font designer may include to offer stylistic or contextual alternatives to the default glyphs. These alternates can provide a unique look and feel to the text, enhancing its visual appeal and aligning it with the overall design aesthetic.
Using alternate glyphs can add a level of sophistication to typography that goes beyond basic styling options like bold or italic. This property is particularly useful for creating distinctive titles, headings, and other text elements that require a special touch. In this article, we will explore the font-variant-alternates property in detail, starting with a basic setup and moving on to practical examples demonstrating its usage.
Basic Setup
Before we dive into the details of the font-variant-alternates property, let’s set up a basic example to demonstrate its functionality. We’ll create a simple HTML structure with some CSS to define our text elements.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>CSS Font-Variant-Alternates Example</title>
<style>
.text {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
margin: 10px;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="text">
This is a sample text with the default font-variant-alternates.
</div>
</body>
</html>In this code, we define a <div> element with the class text. The CSS sets the font-family to ‘MyCustomFont’ and the font-size to 16px. This basic setup provides a foundation for exploring the font-variant-alternates property.
Understanding the font-variant-alternates Property
The font-variant-alternates property in CSS allows you to control the use of alternate glyphs in a font. The property can take several keyword values and functions to specify which alternate glyphs to use. The syntax for font-variant-alternates is:
element {
font-variant-alternates: value;
}Where value can include:
historical-forms: Enables the use of historical glyphs.stylistic(1-20): Enables the use of stylistic sets.styleset(1-20): Enables the use of a specific set of stylistic alternates.character-variant(1-99): Enables the use of character variants.swash(1-99): Enables the use of swash alternates.ornaments(1-99): Enables the use of ornamental alternates.annotation(1-99): Enables the use of annotation forms.
Not all fonts support these features, so it is essential to use a font that includes alternate glyphs.
Practical Examples of font-variant-alternates
Let’s explore practical examples of using the font-variant-alternates property in different scenarios.
Using Historical Forms
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>CSS Font-Variant-Alternates Example</title>
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
src: url('MyCustomFont.woff2') format('woff2'), url('MyCustomFont.woff') format('woff');
}
.text-historical {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
font-variant-alternates: historical-forms;
margin: 10px;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="text-historical">
This is a sample text with historical forms.
</div>
</body>
</html>In this example, the font-variant-alternates property is set to historical-forms for the .text-historical class. This enables the use of historical glyphs, which can give the text an antique or classical appearance, if the font supports it.
Using Stylistic Sets
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>CSS Font-Variant-Alternates Example</title>
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
src: url('MyCustomFont.woff2') format('woff2'), url('MyCustomFont.woff') format('woff');
}
.text-stylistic {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
font-variant-alternates: stylistic(1);
margin: 10px;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #e0e0e0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="text-stylistic">
This is a sample text with stylistic set 1.
</div>
</body>
</html>In this example, the font-variant-alternates property is set to stylistic(1) for the .text-stylistic class. This enables the use of the first stylistic set of alternates, providing a unique and customized appearance to the text.
Using Swash Alternates
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>CSS Font-Variant-Alternates Example</title>
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
src: url('MyCustomFont.woff2') format('woff2'), url('MyCustomFont.woff') format('woff');
}
.text-swash {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
font-variant-alternates: swash(1);
margin: 10px;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #d0d0d0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="text-swash">
This is a sample text with swash alternates.
</div>
</body>
</html>In this example, the font-variant-alternates property is set to swash(1) for the .text-swash class. This enables the use of the first swash set, which typically includes ornamental or decorative variations of characters.
Combining Font Variants with Other Properties
The font-variant-alternates property can be combined with other font properties to achieve more sophisticated typographic effects. Let’s see an example where we combine font variants with other font settings.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>CSS Font-Variant-Alternates Example</title>
<style>
@font-face {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
src: url('MyCustomFont.woff2') format('woff2'), url('MyCustomFont.woff') format('woff');
}
.text {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
font-size: 18px;
font-variant-alternates: stylistic(2);
font-weight: bold;
font-style: italic;
margin: 10px;
padding: 10px;
background-color: #c0c0c0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="text">
This is a sample text with stylistic set 2, bold weight, and italic style.
</div>
</body>
</html>In this example, the .text class combines font-variant-alternates: stylistic(2); with font-weight: bold; and font-style: italic;. This ensures that the text is styled with the second stylistic set, bold weight, and italic style, creating a more distinctive and readable typographic style.
Conclusion
The font-variant-alternates property in CSS is a versatile tool for accessing and using alternate glyphs in a font. By using this property, developers can enhance the visual appeal and uniqueness of text, creating a more engaging and polished look. The font-variant-alternates property offers a range of values that cater to different typographic needs, from historical forms to stylistic sets and ornamental alternates.
Experimenting with different font variants and combining them with other font properties allows for the creation of sophisticated and visually engaging webpages. The examples provided in this article serve as a foundation, encouraging further exploration and creativity in using the font-variant-alternates property to design responsive and user-friendly webpages.
