Google Fonts lists Semi-Bold weight that does not appear to exist

[kemch]

Google Fonts, and as a result I suspect, Figma list a semi-bold versions for Red Hat Text, Red Hat Display, and Red Hat Mono. Semi-bold appears the same as the medium weight. It's causing some confusion with designers, not knowing if semi-bold or medium is the actual weight we are seeing on screen, if they're different weights that are slightly different, or if something is broken. Assuming semi-bold is the weight that does not exist, can it be removed from Google Fonts?

Screenshot if figma
Screenshot in Google Fonts

[jeremymickel]

@kemch
This is something that Google required, as they automatically create instances for every weight increment of 100, whether the designer specifies it or not.

I thought it was unnecessary to have a Semibold, and would harm the overall hierarchy to create an in-between weight. So our compromise was to make the weights identical.

It seems that solution is causing confusion, and it would have been better to add the marginally heavier Semibold...

Ideally, the type designer gets to choose where the weights fall, and not an arbitrary system that says Regular is 400, Bold is 700, and so there have to be two weights (500, 600) in between them.

[kemch]

Is it an option to add a semi-bold weight? Our organization is adopting Red Hat into its brand guidelines and it would just be one less thing to have to explain.

[nprkuhn]

Hi,

I concur with the fact that dropping some of the font weights is an issue: there is an identical problem between Red Hat Display Bold& ExtraBold. Is there a way by recompiling to get the missing weights?
Thanks for your help.

[jeremymickel]

You could just change the values in the design space file.

https://github.com/RedHatOfficial/RedHatFont/blob/master/source/Proportional/RedHatDisplayVF.designspace

[rben01]

Since this font has a variable font, you could create the instances yourself using https://fonttools.readthedocs.io/en/latest/varLib/instancer.html

[kemch]

I’d rather the source font either have the missing weights or not. Yes it’s a variable font so technically you could get in between sizes. That’s not the topic of this issue though.