From 5e50e986758eacc182c121c9853a19617e04bee8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Emma Marichal Date: Fri, 8 May 2026 14:31:08 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 1/6] shadow lenght: started article --- .../terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md | 18 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 18 insertions(+) create mode 100644 cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..3999cf3a941 --- /dev/null +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md @@ -0,0 +1,18 @@ +"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to the letterforms, allowing typographers to add depth and dimension to a typeface. + +The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as: + +| Default: | Min: | Max: | Step: | +| --- | --- | --- | --- | +| 50 | 0 | 100 | 1 | + +
+ +![An image showing two type specimens, each with an axis slider underneath. The specimen on the left shows the effects of the axis' lowest value. The specimen on the right shows the effects of the axis' highest value.](images/thumbnail.svg) + +
A letterform from the Honk typeface is shown twice, once with a minimum value of the Shadow Length axis applied (no shadow), and again with the maximum value applied (full shadow).
+
+ +Changes along the Shadow Length axis extend or retract the shadow cast by each letterform. At 0%, no shadow is visible, while at 100% the shadow reaches its maximum extent as defined by each family's design. The default value of 50% places the shadow at a midpoint between these extremes. + +The number system of the axis is a percentage relative to each family's design: 0% produces no shadow, and 100% applies the maximum shadow length intended by the type designer. \ No newline at end of file From eec763a923971e62a47b88e1ef50192a1514a1bf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Emma Marichal Date: Fri, 8 May 2026 14:31:19 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 2/6] create image --- .../shadowlength_axis/images/thumbnail.svg | 89 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 89 insertions(+) create mode 100644 cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/images/thumbnail.svg diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/images/thumbnail.svg b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/images/thumbnail.svg new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..ec13ecf9beb --- /dev/null +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/images/thumbnail.svg @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + \ No newline at end of file From c4e358d3fb9743ef0c9e0fcf01a5cb8775f56719 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Emma Marichal Date: Fri, 8 May 2026 14:31:30 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 3/6] .textproto added --- .../glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/term.textproto | 5 +++++ 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+) create mode 100644 cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/term.textproto diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/term.textproto b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/term.textproto new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..d4ab21b178f --- /dev/null +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/term.textproto @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +name: "Shadow Length (SHLN)" +excerpt: "An axis found in some variable fonts that controls the length of the font’s shadow, from no visible shadow to the maximum shadow effect defined by the type designer." +related_lessons: "introducing_variable_fonts" +related_lessons: "designing_with_variable_fonts_in_desktop_apps" +related_lessons: "styling_type_on_the_web_with_variable_fonts" From 36ec3f3cc87f84b8720958a38bddbb9635572781 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Emma Marichal Date: Fri, 8 May 2026 14:50:53 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 4/6] Small corrections --- .../knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md | 8 ++++---- 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md index 3999cf3a941..4cbc90a0335 100644 --- a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to the letterforms, allowing typographers to add depth and dimension to a typeface. +"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to letterforms, allowing typographers to add depth and dimension to a typeface. The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as: @@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) def ![An image showing two type specimens, each with an axis slider underneath. The specimen on the left shows the effects of the axis' lowest value. The specimen on the right shows the effects of the axis' highest value.](images/thumbnail.svg) -
A letterform from the Honk typeface is shown twice, once with a minimum value of the Shadow Length axis applied (no shadow), and again with the maximum value applied (full shadow).
+
A letterform from the Honk typeface.
-Changes along the Shadow Length axis extend or retract the shadow cast by each letterform. At 0%, no shadow is visible, while at 100% the shadow reaches its maximum extent as defined by each family's design. The default value of 50% places the shadow at a midpoint between these extremes. +Changes along the Shadow Length axis increase or decrease the shadow applied to each letterform. At 0%, the shadow length is zero, while at 100% the shadow reaches the maximum length defined by the typeface’s design. The default value of 50% places the shadow midway between these extremes. -The number system of the axis is a percentage relative to each family's design: 0% produces no shadow, and 100% applies the maximum shadow length intended by the type designer. \ No newline at end of file +The axis uses a percentage-based scale relative to each family’s design, where 0% produces no shadow and 100% applies the maximum shadow length intended by the type designer. \ No newline at end of file From a00ea90035afab785af03134243759359cf087cd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dave Crossland Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:39:36 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 5/6] Clarify description of Shadow Length axis Removed 'typographers' from the description for clarity. --- .../knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md index 4cbc90a0335..3ac6f5ec03d 100644 --- a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to letterforms, allowing typographers to add depth and dimension to a typeface. +"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to letterforms, allowing to add depth and dimension to a typeface. The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as: @@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) def Changes along the Shadow Length axis increase or decrease the shadow applied to each letterform. At 0%, the shadow length is zero, while at 100% the shadow reaches the maximum length defined by the typeface’s design. The default value of 50% places the shadow midway between these extremes. -The axis uses a percentage-based scale relative to each family’s design, where 0% produces no shadow and 100% applies the maximum shadow length intended by the type designer. \ No newline at end of file +The axis uses a percentage-based scale relative to each family’s design, where 0% produces no shadow and 100% applies the maximum shadow length intended by the type designer. From 86bd5ca170fef2a4d9dcd0d90d0f2d385acec836 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Dave Crossland Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:40:06 -0600 Subject: [PATCH 6/6] Refine definition of 'Shadow Length' in content.md Updated wording to improve clarity in the definition of 'Shadow Length'. --- cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md index 3ac6f5ec03d..06659d48853 100644 --- a/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md +++ b/cc-by-sa/knowledge/glossary/terms/shadowlength_axis/content.md @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to letterforms, allowing to add depth and dimension to a typeface. +"Shadow Length" (`SHLN` in CSS) is an [axis](/glossary/axis_in_variable_fonts) found in some [variable fonts](/glossary/variable_fonts) that controls the length of a shadow applied to letterforms, allowing one to add depth and dimension to a typeface. The [Google Fonts CSS v2 API](https://developers.google.com/fonts/docs/css2) defines the axis as: