How to Make Your Variable Font Responsive to Mouse Movements

Discover how to adjust your variable font settings dynamically based on mouse position in JavaScript. Follow our guide for a quick fix!
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63059558/ asked by the user 'charlieyin' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13251529/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63059643/ provided by the user 'PotatoParser' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/11081477/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Making Variable Fonts Responsive with Mouse Movement

Variable fonts have revolutionized the web typography experience, allowing developers to control various aspects of typeface design dynamically. However, manipulating these fonts can sometimes pose challenges. One common issue developers face is ensuring that variable fonts respond to events like mouse movements. In this guide, we will explore a straightforward solution for adjusting a variable font based on the horizontal position of the mouse within the browser window.

The Problem: Font Not Adjusting as Expected

Imagine you’re trying to create an interactive effect where the weight or width of a variable font changes as you move your mouse. This can enhance user engagement on your website. However, when attempting to implement such features, you might encounter problems similar to the following:

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The intention here is clear: you want the font width to adjust based on the clientX value of the mouse event. However, using e.clientX.value does not yield the expected results because clientX is not an object with a value property - it is just a number representing the mouse's X-coordinate in pixels.

The Solution: Correcting the Event Listener

1. Understand the clientX Property

The first step is to recognize that clientX provides the X-coordinate directly. There’s no need to reference a value property. Instead, you can directly use e.clientX in your fontVariationSettings string.

2. Implement the Fix

Here’s a straightforward fix to your original code that will achieve the desired effect:

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3. Example HTML Structure

To see the effect, make sure you have the appropriate HTML structure in place. Here is a simple example:

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Conclusion

In summary, interacting with variable fonts using mouse events is a powerful way to engage users on your website. By understanding how the mouse event properties work, particularly clientX, you can effectively modify font settings to achieve dynamic typography effects.

Implementing the correct event listener will help ensure that your variable font adjusts smoothly with mouse movements, enhancing the user’s visual experience. Happy coding!