Shantell Sans
Shantell Sans, from Shantell Martin, is a marker-style font built for creative expression, typographic play, and animation.
Shantell Sans is a project based on the artwork, handwriting, and creative philosophy of Shantell Martin. Rather than trying to exactly mimick or “replace” Shantell’s writing, Shantell Sans takes inspiration from marker-based fonts like Comic Sans & Inkwell Sans. It aims to create an authetically typographic system with a single core shape per character, in order to deliver a simple, inviting, and energetic tone while encouraging freedom and play.
To download Shantell Sans, please see the latest release and download the zip file.
Project credits
Project conception and creative direction by Shantell Martin.
Type design & development by Arrow Type / Stephen Nixon.
Cyrillic type design by Anya Danilova.
Additional support from Google Fonts.
Type Specimen / Minisite
Shantell Sans has a minisite at shantellsans.com, with an open repo on GitHub at arrowtype/shantell-sans-specimen.
Font Features
Styles / Instances
Shantell Sans includes a wide array of styles, available both in a single variable font and in separate static font files.
Variable Axes
Shantell’s writing is dynamic and doesn’t adhere to a rigid baseline or precise metrics, so Shantell Sans employs variable axes are to reflect this flexibility in a fluid range of styles.
| Axis | Tag | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | wght |
300–800 | 300 | Light to ExtraBold. Can be defined with the font-weight CSS property. |
| Italic | ital |
0–1 | 0 | Upright to Italic. Can be defined with the font-style CSS property. |
| Bounce | BNCE |
-100–100 | 0 | Emulates the bouncy baseline of handwriting, but extends this for extra fun. |
| Informality | INFM |
0–100 | 0 | Emulates the irregular shaping and proportions of handwriting. |
| Spacing | SPAC |
0–100 | 0 | Adds extra spacing to the left and right of each glyph. |
Bounce, Informality, and Spacing can be defined in the font-variation-settings CSS property. See this guide to designing with custom axes for more information.
Character set
Shantell Sans supports a wide range of 380+ languages using Latin & Cyrillic scripts, throughout Europe, the Americas, central Asia, and Vietnam.
It includes the following characters:
A À Á Â Ã Ä Å Ā Ă Ą Ǎ Ǻ Ȁ Ȃ Ạ Ả Ấ Ầ Ẩ Ẫ Ậ Ắ Ằ Ẳ Ẵ Ặ B C Ç Ć Ĉ Ċ Č D Ď E È É Ê Ë Ē Ĕ Ė Ę Ě Ȅ Ȇ Ẹ Ẻ Ẽ Ế Ề Ể Ễ Ệ F G Ĝ Ğ Ġ Ģ Ǧ H Ĥ I Ì Í Î Ï Ĩ Ī Ĭ Į İ Ȉ Ȋ Ỉ Ị J Ĵ K Ķ L Ĺ Ļ Ľ M N Ñ Ń Ņ Ň O Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö Ō Ŏ Ő Ơ Ǫ Ȍ Ȏ Ȫ Ȭ Ȱ Ọ Ỏ Ố Ồ Ổ Ỗ Ộ Ớ Ờ Ở Ỡ Ợ P Q R Ŕ Ŗ Ř Ȑ Ȓ S Ś Ŝ Ş Š Ș T Ţ Ť Ț U Ù Ú Û Ü Ũ Ū Ŭ Ů Ű Ų Ư Ǔ Ȕ Ȗ Ụ Ủ Ứ Ừ Ử Ữ Ự V W Ŵ Ẁ Ẃ Ẅ X Y Ý Ŷ Ÿ Ȳ Ỳ Ỵ Ỷ Ỹ Z Ź Ż Ž Æ Ǽ Ð Ø Ǿ Þ Đ Ħ IJ Ŀ Ł Ŋ Œ Ŧ Ə DŽ LJ NJ Dž Lj Nj ẞ Ω a à á â ã ä å ā ă ą ǎ ǻ ȁ ȃ ạ ả ấ ầ ẩ ẫ ậ ắ ằ ẳ ẵ ặ b c ç ć ĉ ċ č d ď e è é ê ë ē ĕ ė ę ě ȅ ȇ ẹ ẻ ẽ ế ề ể ễ ệ f g ĝ ğ ġ ģ ǧ h ĥ i ì í î ï ĩ ī ĭ į ȉ ȋ ỉ ị j ĵ k ķ l ĺ ļ ľ m n ñ ń ņ ň o ò ó ô õ ö ō ŏ ő ơ ǫ ȍ ȏ ȫ ȭ ȱ ọ ỏ ố ồ ổ ỗ ộ ớ ờ ở ỡ ợ p q r ŕ ŗ ř ȑ ȓ s ś ŝ ş š ș t ţ ť ț u ù ú û ü ũ ū ŭ ů ű ų ư ǔ ȕ ȗ ụ ủ ứ ừ ử ữ ự v w ŵ ẁ ẃ ẅ x y ý ÿ ŷ ȳ ỳ ỵ ỷ ỹ z ź ż ž ß æ ǽ ð ø ǿ þ đ ħ ı ij ĸ ŀ ł ŋ œ ŧ dž lj nj ə ȷ Ђ Є Ѕ І Ї Ј Љ Њ Ћ Џ А Ӑ Ӓ Б В Г Ѓ Д Е Ѐ Ё Ӗ Ж Ӂ Ӝ З Ӟ И Ѝ Й Ӣ Ӥ К Ќ Л М Н О Ӧ П Р С Т У Ў Ӯ Ӱ Ӳ Ф Х Ц Ч Ӵ Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ӹ Ь Э Ю Я Ѣ Ѫ Ѳ Ѵ Ґ Ғ Ҕ Җ Ҙ Қ Ҝ Ҡ Ң Ҥ Ҫ Ү Ұ Ҳ Ҷ Ҹ Һ Ӏ Ӌ Ӕ Ә Ө Ӷ Ԛ Ԝ а ӑ ӓ б в г ѓ д е ѐ ё ӗ ж ӂ ӝ з ӟ и й ѝ ӣ ӥ к ќ л м н о ӧ п р с т у ў ӯ ӱ ӳ ф х ц ч ӵ ш щ ъ ы ӹ ь э ю я ђ є ѕ і ї ј љ њ ћ џ ѣ ѫ ѳ ѵ ґ ғ ҕ җ ҙ қ ҝ ҡ ң ҥ ҫ ү ұ ҳ ҷ ҹ һ ӌ ӏ ӕ ә ө ӷ ԛ ԝ ff fi fl ffi ffl ʼ ª º ̀ ́ ̂ ̃ ̄ ̆ ̇ ̈ ̉ ̊ ̋ ̌ ̏ ̑ ̒ ̛ ̣ ̤ ̦ ̧ ̨ ̮ ̱ ̵ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ ⁄ ₀ ₁ ₂ ₃ ₄ ₅ ₆ ₇ ₈ ₉ ¼ ½ ¾ ⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ _ - ‐ – — ( ) [ ] { } ⟨ ⟩ # % ‰ ' " ‘ ’ “ ” ‚ „ ‹ › « » * † ‡ . , : ; … ! ¡ ? ¿ / / \ | ¦ ‖ & § ¶ ℓ № · • ◦ ′ ″ ʹ ʺ + − ± ÷ × = < > ≤ ≥ ≈ ≠ ¬ ∅ ℮ µ π Ω ⁒ ∂ ∆ ∏ ∑ ∕ ∙ √ ∞ ∫ $ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ₡ ₤ ₦ ₩ ₫ € ƒ ₭ ₮ ₱ ₲ ₴ ₵ ₸ ₹ ₺ ₼ ₽ ฿ ₨ ₪ ₾ ₿ ^ ~ ´ ` ˝ ˆ ˇ ˘ ˜ ¯ ¨ ˙ ˚ ¸ ˛ © ® ™ ° ⏸ ◆ ◇ ○ ● ■ □ ▪ ▫ ▲ △ ▶ ▷ ▼ ▽ ◀ ◁ ▴ ▵ ▸ ▹ ▾ ▿ ◂ ◃ ♡ ♥ ◊ ✓ ✔ ← ↑ → ↓ ↔ ↕ ↖ ↗ ↘ ↙ ◌ @
OpenType Features
User-facing features
The following features control font options you might wish to adjust in software and via the CSS property font-feature-settings.
| Feature | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Case-sensitive punctuation | case |
Makes punctuation fit cap-height for uppercase typesetting |
| Arbitrary Fractions | frac |
Makes proper fractions from strings like 1/2 and 12/345 |
| Tabular Figures | tnum |
Numbers & currencies are monospaced across styles by default to improve table layout, but this makes certain punctuation become tabular as well |
| Proportional Figures | pnum |
Makes numbers take up a natural amount of space |
| Ordinals | ordn |
Activates ordinals, primarily for Spanish |
| Superscript | sups |
Activates superscript numerals, e.g. for footnotes & exponents |
| Scientific Inferiors | sinf |
Activates subscript/inferior numerals, e.g. for scientific chemical notations |
| Slashed Zero | zero |
Activates a slashed form of zero for higher legibility numbering |
| Standard Ligatures | liga |
Converts 3+ repeated hyphens into wavy lines, just for fun |
| Stylistic Sets | ss0X |
Several stylistic sets exist to help toggle different character forms for Cyrillic languages, as a backup to software-level localization |
Other features
Other features are mostly intended to be handled by software and ignored by users.
| Feature | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Contexual Alternates | calt |
On by default; activates a ligature for її, used in Ukrainian |
| Localized Forms | locl |
Supports special character-design requirements for various languages (TRK, CAT, ROM, MOL, NLD, BGR, SRB, MKD, UKR, and more) |
| Required Ligatures | rlig |
On by default; adds pseudo-random pattern to alternates in Irregular & Bouncy styles |
Also included are aalt, kern, ccmp, dnom, numr, mark, and mkmk.
Making randomization work (Bounce and Informality axes/styles)
In most apps and web browers, the Bounce and Informality axes and styles automatically apply randomization to text. Specifically, the font will cycle through several alternates of each glyph, to make text more lively and give it a more “handwritten” appearance. Under the hood, this is done via the rlig OpenType feature. This should be on by default everywhere, but unfortunately, in some apps you will need to specifically activate this feature.
Adobe Illustrator (Click to expand)
To use rlig in Adobe Illustrator, you must use one of the “Middle Eastern” line composers (as of Illustrator 2023, Version 27).
- Navigate to Illustrator > Preferences > Type
- Click the checkbox “Show Indic Options”
- Then, open the Paragraph panel (Window > Type > Paragraph)
- Open the hamburger/flyout menu of the Paragraph panel, and select “Middle Eastern & South Asian Every-line Composer”
Note: this is harder than it should be, as rlig is supposed to work by default – and does in most apps! If you would like Adobe to improve this, please go vote ”Critical” on this Adobe Forum Post.
Microsoft Word (Windows 11) (Click to expand)
- Search for
Font Settingsin the top search bar. - In the ”Advanced” tab, find the ”Ligatures” menu and select Standard Only
If you find issues with randomization in other apps (or if you run into any other problems), please file an issue in this repo!
Build
How to build the fonts locally (Click to expand)
Set up requirements
Make a virtual environment:
python3 -m venv venvActivate venv:
source venv/bin/activate
Install dependencies:
pip install -U -r requirements.txtFinally, give the build scripts permission to run:
chmod +x scripts--build/*.shFinally, you will also need to separately install google/woff2 to enable the woff2_compress and woff2_decompress commands. Open a new terminal session, window, or tab to do this step.
# 👉 open a new terminal session first, then run this
git clone --recursive https://github.com/google/woff2.git
cd woff2
make clean allBuilding the fonts
source venv/bin/activate # activate venv if not already activeClean the prior run prep:
make cleanThen, run the variable font build:
make vfThis will take the .glyphspackage source and create the folder sources/build-prep with intermediate sources required for the final font build. When the build succeeds, the variable font will open in your default font-opening application (I recommend Font Goggles).
If you want, you can also build the static fonts. Be aware: there are a lot of static fonts, so this takes some time!
make staticsIf you want to build everything all at once, you can use make full. If you just want to run the build prep pipeline, you can use make prep.
Release
Update the version number in version.txt to the desired next release number, then build fonts with the make workflow described above.
A zipped archive of the fonts folder is created as the final step of the make statics command.
Finally, go update the download links in the Shantell Sans web specimen.