fonts/knowledge/glossary/terms/softness_axis/content.md


“Softness” (`SOFT` in CSS)  is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts). At the end of this axis, [letterforms](/glossary/letterform) become more soft and rounded.

The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API ](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as:

| Default: 0 | Min: 0 | Max: 100 | Step: 0.01 |

In the [Fraunces](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Fraunces) [typeface](/glossary/typeface), the softness axis can turn the sharpness and [high-contrast](/glossary/contrast) [serifs](/glossary/serif) into bubble-like forms, and at its softest, the typeface starts to resemble the style of typefaces such as Souvenir or Bookman.

<figure>

![Two side-by-side type specimens of the word “cream”, each shown with a variable axis represented beneath as a horizontal slider. The first specimen, with the slider most of the way to the left to represent a lower value on the axis, show sharper, high-contrast forms. The second specimen, with the slider most of the way to the right to represent a higher value on the axis, is softer, with rounded edges.](images/thumbnail.svg)

</figure>

In line with the current CSS spec, all custom axes should be referenced in UPPERCASE (only the officially registered variable axes should appear in lowercase). Also, when using the Google Fonts API, the uppercase axes have to appear first in the URL.
New gfk content for q1 (#4398) * 1st commit: all content, basic formatting, svg links This is the new Q1 content. Almost all formatting is needed. Excerpts are all missing. There’s absolutely no “related” metadata yet. No alt text, either. But images are all in, renamed to `thumbnail.svg` where appropriate, and structurally everything is there. * Testing link format * Adding all CSS v2 API links for axis defs * Testing Markdown-format tables for axis steps * Adding 2 gloss links to all axis defs’ opening para * More links in intro paras * Inserted all link (blank) into all gloss. terms Almost all of these links need the URLs added later, but at least they’re now marked up to resemble anything that was underlined in the Google Docs. * Inserted all (blank) links in articles Also formatted most of the big tables in new Markdown table format * Gloss. excerpt test * Excerpts for all axis definitions * Remaining (non-axis) glossary excerpts * Renaming 1 illo per article to `thumbnail` * Updating illo filename in content to reflect `thumbnail` name change * Adding prev/next URLs for all new articles * Captions for all articles Some still need font credits adding * Alt text for `a_checklist_for_choosing_type` * Alt text for `language_support_in_fonts` * Alt text for `the_foundations_of_web_typography` * Alt text for `an_overview_of_latin_type_anatomy` Only a small change, as most alt text was already present for this one. * Illo alt text for all axis definitions in Glossary (And table formatting, too.) * Updated illos for `cursive_axis` & `wonky_axis` * Remaining illo alt text for non-axis-related Glossary terms * Added all related gloss. terms to new articles * Added all related articles to gloss. terms * First round of actual URLs on new Gloss. terms * Actual URLs in all remaining Gloss. terms * All real URLs for all new articles And improved checklist formatting * New Thai & Devanagari illos Hopefully the final versions * OG excerpts for all 4 new articles * New illo as per Dave’s rec + TP copy tweak + illo filenames * Article ordering within each `module.textproto` file * Update prev/next for existing articles to reflect new Q1 content 2022-03-23 18:03:21 +03:00
			“Softness” (`SOFT` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts). At the end of this axis, [letterforms](/glossary/letterform) become more soft and rounded.

			`The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API ](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as:`

			`\| Default: 0 \| Min: 0 \| Max: 100 \| Step: 0.01 \|`

			`In the [Fraunces](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Fraunces) [typeface](/glossary/typeface), the softness axis can turn the sharpness and [high-contrast](/glossary/contrast) [serifs](/glossary/serif) into bubble-like forms, and at its softest, the typeface starts to resemble the style of typefaces such as Souvenir or Bookman.`

			`<figure>`

			`![Two side-by-side type specimens of the word “cream”, each shown with a variable axis represented beneath as a horizontal slider. The first specimen, with the slider most of the way to the left to represent a lower value on the axis, show sharper, high-contrast forms. The second specimen, with the slider most of the way to the right to represent a higher value on the axis, is softer, with rounded edges.](images/thumbnail.svg)`

			`</figure>`

			`In line with the current CSS spec, all custom axes should be referenced in UPPERCASE (only the officially registered variable axes should appear in lowercase). Also, when using the Google Fonts API, the uppercase axes have to appear first in the URL.`