HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
mastodon
4.5.8
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites.
📍 Brooklyn, NYC
0
Followers
0
Following
Joined November 10, 2022
HEX Projects:
Newsletter:
Future Fonts:
Posts
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Feb 04, 2026
1
1
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Feb 04, 2026
As noted in the disclaimers on that demo page, the curved baseline effect relies on some CSS functions that some browsers don’t support yet. In those browsers you will see the glyphs flex and wiggle when hovering, but without the baseline curving. It’s not the intended effect but it does help to understand how the variable font’s glyphs flex to match what the curvature of the baseline *would* be.
8
0
1
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Feb 04, 2026
An interactive web experiment combining a springy-baseline hover effect with a variable font whose glyphs can flex to match the baseline’s curvature:
https://hex.xyz/Shop_Sans/boing/
The CSS code is based on demos from @css with tips from @kizu yesterday:
https://front-end.social/@css/116006138838064149
The variable font is Shop Sans, which I made for exactly these kinds of curved-baseline situations:
https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/shop-sans
It’s just CSS with a variable web font (no JavaScript involved) and would have been impossible until fairly recently.
https://hex.xyz/Shop_Sans/boing/
The CSS code is based on demos from @css with tips from @kizu yesterday:
https://front-end.social/@css/116006138838064149
The variable font is Shop Sans, which I made for exactly these kinds of curved-baseline situations:
https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/shop-sans
It’s just CSS with a variable web font (no JavaScript involved) and would have been impossible until fairly recently.
73
5
23
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Nov 12, 2025
Issue #2 of HEX News just went out, featuring the new Shop Sans typeface for setting text on curves, previews of other fonts in progress, font uses, miscellaneous personal recommendations, and more.
You can read the web version here:
https://hex.xyz/news/2/
Subscribe to get infrequent new issues in your email inbox or RSS reader:
https://hex.xyz/news/
You can read the web version here:
https://hex.xyz/news/2/
Subscribe to get infrequent new issues in your email inbox or RSS reader:
https://hex.xyz/news/
38
1
13
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Nov 01, 2025
@underware Thanks! I was doing early tests for this idea with a slab-serif design at least as early as January 2015:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/16366442601/
The sans-serif design I just released now started some time between then and July 2016, when I made the first commits in the git repository for the project.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicksherman/16366442601/
The sans-serif design I just released now started some time between then and July 2016, when I made the first commits in the git repository for the project.
5
0
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Nov 01, 2025
HEX launched 7 years ago tonight, on Halloween 2018.
To celebrate, I’m releasing a preliminary version of an experimental typeface I started even before that …
Shop Sans is a typeface for setting text on circles and curved baselines. Its ‘Curve’ variable font allows for bending type smoothly along arched paths, with adjustable curvature.
The initial version 0.1 is now available from @futurefonts, with more updates and improvements coming soon:
https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/shop-sans
To celebrate, I’m releasing a preliminary version of an experimental typeface I started even before that …
Shop Sans is a typeface for setting text on circles and curved baselines. Its ‘Curve’ variable font allows for bending type smoothly along arched paths, with adjustable curvature.
The initial version 0.1 is now available from @futurefonts, with more updates and improvements coming soon:
https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/shop-sans
174
11
74
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Aug 07, 2025
If you’re in Portland, Oregon, tonight @futurefonts and friends are hosting a @typecon party at the Outlet studio. It’s free and open to the public.
https://www.futurefonts.com/blog/582-future-fonts-friends-typecon-party
Unfortunately I won’t be there, but I’m happy to see Diego Garibay’s design for the flyer uses my HEX Franklin fonts (https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/hex-franklin) including some funky manual adaptations.
https://www.futurefonts.com/blog/582-future-fonts-friends-typecon-party
Unfortunately I won’t be there, but I’m happy to see Diego Garibay’s design for the flyer uses my HEX Franklin fonts (https://www.futurefonts.com/hex/hex-franklin) including some funky manual adaptations.
19
2
5
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Jul 11, 2025
@nazhamid I’ve had Lauweriks up on the site for years, but I’m glad you found it and like it – thank you!
The wild 6 and 9 came straight from the source material, which is still hard to believe is from the early 1900s. @MathieuLommen recently published a related article:
https://typo.social/@MathieuLommen/114760068190950701
At some point I also added more tame stylistic alternates for a client who wanted the option to not always be so zany.🤪 I’ll have to add those to the samples on the HEX site soon.
The wild 6 and 9 came straight from the source material, which is still hard to believe is from the early 1900s. @MathieuLommen recently published a related article:
https://typo.social/@MathieuLommen/114760068190950701
At some point I also added more tame stylistic alternates for a client who wanted the option to not always be so zany.🤪 I’ll have to add those to the samples on the HEX site soon.
21
1
5
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
May 19, 2025
Designer: Spends $60 to use my fonts in a publication they’re making.
Me: Spends $80 to buy a copy of that publication.
Me: Spends $80 to buy a copy of that publication.
41
4
4
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
May 18, 2025
Designer: Writes a nice 3-sentence email asking about using some of my fonts.
Me: Replies with a 600-word essay explaining every possible thing there is to know about those fonts.
Me: Replies with a 600-word essay explaining every possible thing there is to know about those fonts.
23
2
1
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
@simoncozens In the mean time, I get to field customer support inquiries about my fonts being broken because the kerning is all messed up. 🫠
3
0
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
@danielgibert This thread started by @LucasFonts back in May is probably the most relevant:
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/204670-variable-fonts-kerning-broken/
I’ve commented with an illustration there for good measure.
On the latest official bug list (https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/220123-26-beta-builds-bug-fix-list/) there is “Custom Variable font is using the wrong kerning value in Affinity [AF-3768]”, but I’m not sure if that is the same issue or not, and the linked bug ID just leads to an empty search results page.
https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/204670-variable-fonts-kerning-broken/
I’ve commented with an illustration there for good measure.
On the latest official bug list (https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/220123-26-beta-builds-bug-fix-list/) there is “Custom Variable font is using the wrong kerning value in Affinity [AF-3768]”, but I’m not sure if that is the same issue or not, and the linked bug ID just leads to an empty search results page.
2
2
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
@barrymieny No worries! I’m glad you brought it up in the first place. There were also already some threads discussing the issue and I’ve commented on them with further explanation/illustration for good measure.
1
0
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
@Sobex Yeah, it's definitely a bug. It was reported in the forums a while ago (and I've commented with this illustration for good measure) but it’s still not resolved. Thankfully it is something that can and probably will be fixed.
3
0
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
To further illustrate the variable kerning issue:
This video shows the expected behavior for variable fonts as demonstrated in Figma, below (kerning varies with changes in design variations), and the current behavior in Affinity apps, above (the same default kerning values are applied to all design variations, resulting in not enough kerning for wide styles and too much kerning in condensed styles, causing glyphs to crash).
This video shows the expected behavior for variable fonts as demonstrated in Figma, below (kerning varies with changes in design variations), and the current behavior in Affinity apps, above (the same default kerning values are applied to all design variations, resulting in not enough kerning for wide styles and too much kerning in condensed styles, causing glyphs to crash).
10
2
3
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
@superpixel Yes, there threads on the forum, and I’ve submitted comments there with this illustration for good measure (though still waiting for those comments to be approved).
4
0
0
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
HEX Projects
@HEX@typo.social
HEX Projects is a typographic company founded by @nicksherman that makes fonts and websites. 📍 Brooklyn, NYC
typo.social
@HEX@typo.social
·
Dec 06, 2024
For anyone using variable fonts in Affinity design apps:
⚠️ BEWARE ⚠️
Affinity applies kerning values from a variable font’s default instance (usually a moderate “Regular” style) to *all* variants of that font, even if it includes design variants with drastically different kerning.
It’s easy to miss in variable fonts with relatively limited stylistic ranges (where kerning doesn’t change much throughout), but it’s quite problematic for variable fonts that cover more expansive ranges of variation.
⚠️ BEWARE ⚠️
Affinity applies kerning values from a variable font’s default instance (usually a moderate “Regular” style) to *all* variants of that font, even if it includes design variants with drastically different kerning.
It’s easy to miss in variable fonts with relatively limited stylistic ranges (where kerning doesn’t change much throughout), but it’s quite problematic for variable fonts that cover more expansive ranges of variation.
113
10
63