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. Note: see below for how to make this fully work in MS Word and Adobe Illustrator → (“Making Randomization Work”).
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 using custom axes in CSS 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).

1. Navigate to Illustrator > Preferences > Type
2. Click the checkbox “Show Indic Options”
3. Then, open the Paragraph panel (Window > Type > Paragraph)
4. 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)

1. Search for Font Settings in the top search bar.
2. 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 venv

Activate venv:

source venv/bin/activate

Install dependencies:

pip install -U -r requirements.txt

Finally, give the build scripts permission to run:

chmod +x scripts--build/*.sh

Building the fonts

source venv/bin/activate # activate venv if not already active

Clean the prior run prep:

make clean

Then, run the variable font build:

make vf

This 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 statics

If 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.