Material Variable
Material
OpenType Features
Case Sensitive Forms
All Caps [cpsp]
Case Sensitive Forms [case]
This function formats the text in uppercase and adjusts spacing between all capital letters. It also applies the ‘Case Sensitive Forms’ feature which replaces certain characters with alternates that are better suited for all capital text, especially related to punctuation.
«Optimo»
@|¦()[]{}¿¡‹›«»-–—·
«OPTIMO»
@|¦()[]{}¿¡‹›«»-–—·
Contextual Alternates
Contextual Alternates [calt]
This feature adapts the position of a glyph after its surrounding context. For instance, a dash placed between two uppercase letters or numbers will be replaced by an uppercase version of the dash, slightly higher. This feature is usually active by default in Adobe applications.
Alternate a
Stylistic Set 1 [ss01]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
information
aàáâãäāăåǻąæǽ
information
aàáâãäāăåǻąæǽ
Alternate g
Stylistic Set 2 [ss02]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
g ĝğġģ
g ĝğġģ
Extra Ligatures
Stylistic Set 3 [ss03]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
MATERIAL FLUXUS
EXIT ECART PROJECT
MATERIAL FLUXUS
EXIT ECART PROJECT
Alternate Q
Stylistic Set 7 [ss07]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
Question
Question
Alternate @
Stylistic Set 8 [ss08]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
@
@
Tabular Lining Figures
Tabular Lining Figures [tnum–lnum]
Based on the proportions of the capitals, lining figures have an invariable height. With the combination of the tabular spacing format, the width of each numeral is uniformized. This feature is useful when numerals need to all lined up. It facilitates the reading of numbers set within columns or tables. As some applications don’t have access to this feature, proportional figures are set as the default choice.
0123456789
0123456789
Proportional Oldstyle Figures
Proportional Oldstyle Figures [pnum–onum]
Based on the design of the lowercase, oldstyle figures have varying ascenders and descenders. Like most of the letters, each number has an appropriate width based on its shape. The combination of oldstyle figures with proportional setting generate numerals perfectly adapted for text.
Tabular Oldstyle Figures
Tabular Oldstyle Figures [tnum–onum]
Based on the design of the lowercase, oldstyle figures have varying ascenders and descenders. With the combination of the tabular spacing format, the width of each numeral is uniformized. This feature is useful when numerals need to all lined up. It facilitates the reading of numbers set within columns or tables.
Fractions
Fractions [frac]
With this feature, any numbers separated by a slash will automatically turn into a fraction. To fit in fraction configuration, numerals have been designed smaller and their weights have been adjusted to suit the typeface.
3/4 3/8 5/8 7/8
3/4 3/8 5/8 7/8
Ordinals
Ordinals [ordn]
This feature replaces any letter following a numeral with its matching superior letters. French language uses the ordinal indicators such as ‘er’ for 1er premier, while Spanish, Portuguese and Italian require the feminine and masculine ordinals ‘a,’ ‘o’ for 1º, 1ª. Ordinals are designed to match the weight of the typeface.
Slashed Zero
Slashed Zero [zero]
Originally created to avoid the confusion between the ‘0’ and the ‘O’, this feature substitutes all zeros in a selected text by a slashed form of the zero.
Slashed Zero Oldstyle
Slashed Zero [zero]
Originally created to avoid the confusion between the ‘0’ and the ‘O’, this feature substitutes all zeros in a selected text by a slashed form of the zero.
Proportional Oldstyle Figures [onum]
Tabular figures are all of equal width. They are only needed when the figures must all line up from one line to the next, as in a table. Proportional figures have varying widths, just like most letters; each number has a width appropriate to its design. Lining figures are all the same height, usually similar to that of capital letters. They are needed for use with all-capital settings.
Alternate %
Stylistic Set 9 [ss09]
This feature replaces glyph(s) with stylistic alternate(s).
100%
900‰
100%
900‰
Numerators
Numerators [numr]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates. The numerators are the same glyphs that are used to create fractions, their vertical position remains within the capital letters height. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Denominators
Denominators [dnom]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates and low position glyphs. The denominators are the same glyphs that are used to create fractions, their vertical position remains within the base line. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Superscript/Superiors
Superscript / Superiors [sups]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates which are set slightly above the height of the capital letters. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmn
Hopqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Subscript/Inferiors
Subscript / Inferiors [subs]
This feature substitutes glyphs with their matching smaller alternates which are set slightly below the baseline. These glyphs are reduced in size and designed slightly heavier to keep them consistent with the rest of the font.
Habcdefghijklmno
Hpqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Habcdefghijklmno
Hpqrstuvwxyz()[].,
Standard Ligatures
Standard Ligatures [liga]
Standard ligatures replaces a sequence of characters with a single ligature glyph, they are designed to improve kerning and readability of certain letter pairs.
fi ffi fl ffl ff fb ffb fh ffh fk ffk ff fj
fi ffi fl ffl ff fb ffb fh ffh fk ffk ff fj
Discretionary Ligatures
Discretionary Ligatures [dlig]
This feature activates discretionary ligatures which are specific to the typeface. It applies all other designed ligatures that are not classified as standard ligatures.
-> <-
Th ct gt st
The strength project
-> <-
Th ct gt st
The strength project
Lowercase math symbols
Stylistic Set 6 [ss06]
This feature activates alternate lowercase positioning of mathematical symbols.
up+down
+±×÷−=≈≠¬∞
up+down
+±×÷−=≈≠¬∞
Multiply sign
Stylistic Set 20 [ss20]
This feature substitutes the letter “x” into the multiplication sign.
Character Map
Uppercases
Lowercases
Accented Uppercases
Accented Lowercases
Stylistic Alternates
Standard Ligatures
Discretionary Ligatures
Punctuation
Lining Figures
Oldstyle Figures
Slashed Zero
Numerators
Denominators
Superscripts/Superiors
Subscripts/Inferiors
Prebuilt Fractions
Symbols
Mathematical Symbols
Currencies
Arrows
Ordinals
About
Material is a contemporary slab-serif typeface designed by Nicolas Eigenheer. Originally inspired by Breite fette Egyptienne from the Bauer Foundry, its shapes have been acutely redefined with a modern attitude.
Breite fette Egyptienne is actually a replica of Vincent Figgins’s Antique, which is considered by some to be one of the first examples of a slab-serif type. An apt reflection of the Industrial Revolution, these early heavy slab-serif types (also called Egyptian types) were used primarily on advertisements and hoardings. Much like its inspiration, Material is an attention-grabbing typeface and will serve outstandingly well for any headline or display tasks.
The design of Material’s glyphs is characterized by its combination of precise curves and geometric brutality with a moderate stroke contrast, which is, however, pushed to extremes around junctions. It features distinctive heavy and unbracketed slab serifs, typical of Egyptian types. While offering a sharp contrast to the massive letters, the unconventional light design of the punctuation strengthens the legibility of this typeface.