Issue with Fraunces Variable Font in InDesign

[alessandro_cavallini]

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Hi everyone,

I'm having a strange issue with the Fraunces variable font in InDesign 2025 and wondering if anyone else has encountered this.

The static instances of the font (Thin, Light, Regular, etc.) display correctly. But as soon as I try to use the variable sliders to adjust any axis, the font suddenly switches to a completely different sans serif font. After that, it becomes uneditable, and the ⌘+Z (Undo) command stops working entirely within InDesign until I restart the app.

I’ve tried reinstalling the font and restarting InDesign (and also reinstalling InDesign), but the issue persists.

Same with InDesign 2024.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a workaround or known fix?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[julie856batson]

Hi everyone,

I'm having a strange issue with the Fraunces variable font in InDesign 2025 and wondering if anyone else has encountered this.

The static instances of the font (Thin, Light, Regular, etc.) display correctly. But as soon as I try to use the variable sliders to adjust any axis, the font suddenly switches to a completely different sans serif font. After that, it becomes uneditable, and the ⌘+Z (Undo) command stops working entirely within InDesign until I restart the app.

I’ve tried reinstalling the font and restarting InDesign (and also reinstalling InDesign), but the issue persists.

Same with InDesign 2024.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a workaround or known fix?

Thanks in advance for any help!

By @alessandro_cavallini

Hello @alessandro_cavallini,
Sounds like a bug with InDesign’s handling of variable fonts—possibly a fallback error when the axis data isn’t read correctly. Until Adobe patches this, try disabling GPU acceleration, using a static weight, or testing in Illustrator. Others have flagged similar issues with Fraunces too.

Best Regards,
Julie Batson

[alessandro_cavallini]

Hello @julie856batson,

Thank you so much for your precise and helpful reply!

I tried using Illustrator as you suggested, and the Fraunces variable font works perfectly there — no issues at all. It’s a shame that this bug is affecting InDesign, especially since Fraunces has those two axes, Optical Size and Softness, which are incredibly useful when combined.

Hopefully Adobe will address this soon.

Thanks again!

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alessandro_cavallini,

Thanks a lot for sharing all these details. I tested this on InDesign version 20.4.1 and could see the variable font sliders working as expected without switching to another font or causing undo issues.

Could you please confirm the exact version of InDesign 2025 you're using (for example, 20.4.1 or 20.4)? It would also help to know which operating system you're on.

Additionally, let me know if this only happens with your current document or if you see the same behavior when you create a brand new file and try using the Fraunces variable font sliders there as well.

If possible, please share a short screen recording showing the whole issue, from selecting the font, adjusting the sliders, to what happens when the font changes, so I can try to reproduce it on my end and get this checked with the team.

Looking forward to your update!

Abhishek 

[alessandro_cavallini]

Hello @Abhishek Rao 

Thanks so much for jumping in!

I'm using InDesign 20.4.1 on macOS Sequoia 15.5 (24F74), and I see the same behavior even on a brand new file — so it’s not limited to the current document.

I’m recording a quick video now to show the issue and will post it shortly.

Thanks again!

[alessandro_cavallini]

Hello @Abhishek Rao,

Here is the video:

https://fromsmash.com/iTPzPIKotp-dt

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to upload videos here.

[alessandro_cavallini]

(in the video, it's not visible that Undo stops working after the bug).

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alessandro_cavallini,

Thank you so much for sharing all these details, along with the video.

I'm checking this with the product team for further investigation. I'll keep you updated as soon as I hear back.

Thanks again for your patience, and looking forward to staying in touch!

Abhishek

[alessandro_cavallini]

Hi @Abhishek Rao,

do you have any solutions?

Thanks.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alessandro_cavallini,

Thanks so much for your patience, and for sharing all the details and the video. That really helped us dig deeper.

I checked with the product team, and it appears that this behavior is happening due to an unusual setting in the STAT table of the Fraunces font. While it isn't technically violating the font spec, it seems to be causing unexpected issues, specifically in InDesign's handling of variable fonts. Other apps like Illustrator don't run into this problem because they handle that setting differently.

The team was able to reproduce the issue and has logged a bug for further investigation.

In the meantime, you can, if possible, continue using the static font weights in InDesign or adjust the variable axes in Illustrator as you've been doing.

We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention, and we'll keep you posted as soon as we have any updates.

Thanks again!

Abhishek

[uem4o504-30]

I'm having a similar problem in adobe illustrator with the fraunces variable font. When the file is open and i change the variable font settings like optical weight, softness ect it works fine. When I reopen the file it asks me to replace the font and all my settings are lost. Im doing logo designs so Ive had to manually upsate the 4 varable settings on over 6 versions of a logo each time I open the file. Which wont work for showing clients so ive just had to outline everything. Is there a way to fix this as id preffer the text to be ediable. I don't have this issue when editing the varaible settings in figma.

[alessandro_cavallini]

Exactly, @uem4o504-30! In addition to the issue reported with InDesign, I'm also experiencing a problem with how Fraunces is handled in Illustrator—it's a different issue from the one in InDesign, but it's the same one you mentioned!

I have to make a separate note of how I modified the font, otherwise I lose all the work I’ve done when reopening the file.

@Abhishek Rao, do you have any solutions for both InDesign and Illustrator issues?

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alessandro_cavallini,

Thanks again for following up. We actually have an active thread in the Illustrator community discussing this specific issue with the Fraunces variable font:
Issue with Fraunces Variable Font in Illustrator – Variable Font Settings Lost When Reopening File

Could you please post your Illustrator-related query there as well? I'm currently investigating this with the team, and having everything in one place will really help us track and escalate it efficiently.

It would also be great if you could share a screen recording showing the full demonstration of the issue in Illustrator, from applying the variable settings to what happens when reopening the file. That'll help us reproduce it more accurately on our end.

Looking forward to your update there!

Abhishek 

[fayed66024351]

I'm having the same issue. Has there been any resolution? 

[alessandro_cavallini]

No, unfortunately the problem has never been resolved.