I am very happy to announce that Merriweather Serif and Sans are available from WebInk’s web font service. There are now 52 styles to choose from (up from 16 on Google’s Web Fonts). The fonts come with kerning, Open Type features like multiple number styles, contextual alternatives, ligatures and even more language and currency support.
Still to come: Small caps, condensed styles and maybe expanded styles will be coming along as well. I will also see if I can get Vietnamese supported.
As with other announcements I encourage you to let me know what you are happy about and what you are not. It would be great to hear what you would like to see added too!
Just yesterday I found some fixes I need to make and push to this edition. Hopefully by the end of the week or possibly sooner they will be live. WebInk has been great about pushing fixes. Thanks WebInk!
Here are links to the fonts
http://app.webink.com/font/merriweather-st
http://app.webink.com/font/merriweathersans-st
Here is an interview they kindly did with me as well
Merriweather Font 
I’m still waiting for the Azeri Latin schwa (u+018F, u+0259)… I guess I could use the Cyrillic as a substitute, but I have too many files already using the Latin codepoints, and they’re written in Latin script anyway, so falling back on Cyrillic for just one character would be somewhat counterproductive.
By the way, I’m Mexican, not Azerbaijani, but I use those characters frequently in phonetic transcription of constructed languages.
The serif fonts coming to Font Squirrel later this week will solve this for you. They have both Latin (Azeri) schwa and the Cyrillic one. What kind of constructed languages are you transcribing?
I use them mostly to transcribe my own constructed languages, naturally, but there are also some well known phonetic transcription systems which use the schwa character to mean an unstressed vowel sound such as that in human, system, peril, lemon, circus. The most common is the International Phonetic Alphabet, which I am aware you’re not catering for at this moment, but the system that most American dictionaries use to show pronunciation use the schwa frequently (as well as vowels with macron, which you already have).
What are your constructed languages for? Are they purely theoretical or do they serve another purpose? Do you require IPA support for your projects very often?
Eagerly waiting for the Extended Unicode OTF to be available from Font Squirrel!
Thanks!
@Constructed languages and IPA support:
I don’t necessarily require full IPA for anything, but it will be a nice addition. However, it seems that it would fit better in the ST version, because IPA typesetting requires quite a lot of combining diacritics. However, I have a strong need for some characters in the IPA block, particularly the schwa, both capital (which is located in Latin Extended-B) and lowercase.
As for my constructed languages, they’re purely recreational. It’s nothing more than a hobby of mine, but I do want to publish material in them on the Internet. I think support for Croatian + Slovak + Azeri is enough, but I’ll let you know if I need any other character in the future.
I get it now. The latin schwa will be in the font squirrel version so you will be ok. Getting a version to them may happen by Monday. I found some errors that need fixing before that happens. I will post an announcement here like the one for WebInk when the update has been sent to them.
Is it just me or are Merriweather ST Light Italic and Merriweather ST Black missing from this page? http://app.webink.com/font/merriweather-st
You are correct. These will be added soon. WebInk is using an initial set which will be replaced by an improved and more complete set quite soon.
The other big change that is coming will be to speed. The new files are about 1/2 the size of the ones that are live now so they will load much faster.
The new set also has:
• There are also refinements to the way the different styles of numbers or figures render in a few cases that I had not noticed before.
• Glyph Coverage for the Slovak, Hungarian and Azerbaijani languages.
• Improved currency coverage even than what is present now. The ₩ (Won), ₪ (Sheqle), and the ₣ (Franc).
Were you thinking of using it for something?
The next addition will be a range of widths semi-condensed, condensed, and extra condensed. Small caps are also coming.
Yes, I’m thinking of using Merriweather on a personal project. I’d been looking for a font with its proportions for some time, and I really like what you’ve done.
I’ll keep an eye out for updates to WebInk. Thank you.
With WebInk retiring (http://www.webink.com), will Merriweather be available as a web font from any other service?
Yes. I expect to add it to TypeKit and possibly some others. Which service would you prefer and why?
Thanks, that’s great news. I’ll use Typekit if I have to, but I’d prefer to support someone smaller like Fontdeck.
They are high on my list too.
How do I get these fonts for use in printing? I cannot find a download/purchase option in Webink. Or are these even the print-optimized fonts that you had been planning to create?
You are correct. WebInk is only for the web.
I have started selling print licenses privately because the Sorkin Type web site’s store is not up yet. If you would like a license let me know.
I should probably also reiterate that I am expecting to improve, adjust and further expand the print versions over the the next year or so. Anyone who buys a print license now will receive the updated versions.
The updates that will be gratis include:
• Small Caps
• Some extra symbols and probably support for a few more languages
• Optical adjustments that are print specific. Admittedly these are fairly subtle but I feel it is worth doing.
• Additional and improved kerning
The new stuff that is coming will require additional liceses
• Condensed versions
• Optical versions. These will let you use optimal spacing and shapes for very small sizes and for large headline and very large display sizes.
Ok, private licensing is fine. How do I contact you outside of this public forum…?
I have emailed you. Your email was visible to me when I was notified of your post. Best!
Hi Eben, is a downloadable Merriweather ST already available for purchase?
It is – sort of.
I have made some custom versions of it for a few clients. The clients that took it were willing to get the 98% done version with the understanding that they will get free updates. Realistically most of what I am fixing will mean far more to me than it will to people who use the font. Quite a lot of things I am improving next are in the Cyrillic. If you want it for the Cyrillic you may have more reason to wait.
This version will also be going to WebInk and eventually others.
Just now I am working on solving some client specific technical issues. I will return to getting Merriweather ST completely ready in the next week or so.
Sorry the answer is so complicated.
Would you like to be an early adopter? What would you be using it for?
Hi! I’d love to be an early adopter of the font. I have a newsroom project underway and love everything about the new Merriweather ST font. Please let me know what I must do to have this font in it’s early stages.
I found your email on the SF Chron site and sent you some information and my phone #. Let’s talk when you can.
The next edition is I think a 2-3 weeks away.
Hi. I went to webink, and it is no longer allowing new subscribers, plus, I want to use your font for a book we are printing. Is it possible to license it? BTW, I found your font on Adobe’s TypeKit. Does that mean we are licensed to use it for a book?
One other request. I would love to use the extended fonts, will you make them available for purchase? Thanks.
The next edition of the pro version would be the one I would recommend for book because sit has kerning. The free version does not. I have been making the previous pro version available for the last 3 months but I am replacing it with an improved version some time in the next month or so. I recommend waiting for that version if you can. As soon as The new ST is out I will also be updating the free versions on TypeKit, Google, Font Squirrel and others.
I actually kind of noticed that. I opted for optical kerning, and it works most of the time. I had some pairs (one particular one–comma and quotes, was just weird–the quotes ended up over, and to the left of the comma!), but with some tweaking I was able to get rather pleasing output. I also had to do some extra kerning at larger, title sizes, but it ended up fine. I wish I could wait for the final version–and I will for our next edition (if there is one), as well as for future books in this series. I love this font, to be honest, and it’s replaced my previous fav–Adobe Jenson. 🙂 I also am looking forward to the greater number of weights. Thanks for your hard work.
I would love to see a PDF of the use. Is that possible?
I suppose my wife wouldn’t mind if I let you see a chapter. Do you have an email I can send it to?
I have emailed you at your mac.com address.
Hi there, I work with a small arts non-profit that is hoping to use Merriweather for print. We have been using the version available on adobe typekit and would like to discuss donating/paying you for use of the print version. We are printing about 150 copies of our book, and I would be happy to send a pdf of it if you would like to see it. Thanks very much!
I’ll email you about this.
Hi Eben,
Love your work. Based on your WebInk interview, I also admire your approach to creating type.
I’d like to use Merriweather as the web font for my website. If I understand correctly from what I have read here, you have created a new version called Merriweather ST? It has over 52 styles (weights?), up from the 16 available on Google. M.ST also has ‘corrections’ to kerning etc.
What I can not figure out is where to obtain M. St.? Google is still advertising 16 styles, Typekit the same, and WebInk no longer accepting new subscribers….sigh. Is it available NOW?
If not, when will this expanded weight set be available?
Thanks very much, and continued great work. Oh, and happy New Year. 🙂
Most kind! I have forgotten if this is accurate now but I think there are now 54+ style in total. Certainly the number is slightly larger than the set that WebInk had. You can expect the free version on Google to become much more capable with the new release and for the full range of styles in ST to become licensable in a few places and for Adobe-Typekit to receive the full ST version + the free one. I am actually in the middle of what I hope are the last few steps. I have been making the various new styles of numbers found in the ST version more balanced and beautiful for the last few days. I am now hoping that the release of the serif can occur in 14-21 days. Then I will turn my attention to the Sans. Also the serif will be coming with a Cyrillic whereas the Sans still does not have that feature. I will probably add it shortly after I get some feedback on the serif version – probably in Fall. I am also considering commercial (not academic) Greek for both Families and perhaps Vietnamese. After this coming release my plans are for a the release of a range of width- related style. A wide, a semi-condensed, condensed and compressed. Similarly I will be working on optical sizes for Display and very small sizes and so on. It is possible that eventually the family will range into hundreds of styles.
I am very curious about how you would like to use the fonts. Would you describe that a little?
Hey Eben,
It seems that WebInk is closed. Where can I find Merriweather Pro?
As of now you can email me privately : sorkintype@gmail.com.
The fonts themselves continue to improve. You can expect replacements that are even better for the next year or possibly longer as I add support for additional languages and features.
Hello, Mr. Sorkin. How much does Merriweather ST cost? I read that it contains ligatures, can you say which ligatures exactly? Thank you.
Merriweather’s cost depends on the number of CPUs being licensed and if it is for print or the web etc. How many users would you need supported and what uses do you need licensed?
Merriweather ST (Serif) has the following ligatures: f_i f_l f_f f_f_i f_f_l
I would be open to adding others probably things like f_k and f_b
In general I am more executed about contextual letters that change shape than I am in ligatures because if you track the type together or apart a ligature isn’t treated and tends to look odd.
Is the ST version different from the one that’s available on Adobe’s Typekit? If so, where can one buy the ST version? Thanks.