Variable Google Fonts reset to minimum weight on file open in Illustrator
Issue Description:
When opening files in Adobe Illustrator, the program incorrectly handles Google Fonts variable families that use floating weight values (variable wght axis). All text elements that were assigned specific weight values (e.g., 400, 500, 600) are automatically reset to the minimum weight value after reopening the file. As a result, all text switches to the thinnest available style in the variable font.
Expected Behavior:
Illustrator should correctly save and restore the numeric values of variable font axes (in this case, the wght axis) and display text exactly with the weight settings assigned before saving.
Actual Behavior:
After reopening the document, all text objects using Google variable fonts lose their assigned weight values and revert to the lowest/minimal value of the wght axis. Visually this appears as if all text changes to the “thin” style of the family.
This breaks the typographic hierarchy and causes layout shifts, making the file unusable without manual correction.
Steps to Reproduce:
• Latest Illustrator release (Windows).
• Use any Google Fonts variable family (e.g., with a wght axis).
• Assign different weight values within the same variable family to text objects.
• Save the file, close it, then reopen it.
• All weights revert to the minimum value.
Impact:
The design opens with damaged typography. All weight settings must be restored manually, which is time-consuming and may cause inconsistencies or visual artifacts.
Anatolii Agapov
shared this idea
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Trying to reproduce this, with the variable Roboto Flex, and it works as expected: the PDF file (saved with the Illustrator Compatibility enabled) looks the same in Acrobat in when read back in Illustrator.
Can you reproduce it from scratch? with any of the Google fonts?
What PDF preset are you using when saving a PDF?
Do you get any messages at all when read the file back?
