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STAT italic axis uses wrong format

Audit code: stat-format-mismatch

Definition

A STAT axis-value uses the wrong format. The italic axis (ital) specifically requires format 3 (linkedValue) — format 3 records "Italic is the italic version of Regular" so Windows displays "Bold Italic" instead of "Regular Bold Italic". Other formats (1, 2, 4) for italic axis-values produce broken style-name composition.

How Patens surfaces this

The Patens audit module checks for stat-format-mismatch across five teaching surfaces: the edit-panel inline issue list, the project-wide audit page, the release pre-flight check, the family hub, and the home-page project tile. Every surface shows the same plain-English explanation and links back to this page. This rule is detection-only — there's no automatic fix because the correction is design-dependent (it requires a judgment call about the glyph's intended shape or the font's intended behaviour). The audit message links to the specific glyph or field that needs attention.

Run this check yourself

Patens runs every audit rule live as you draw — including this one. The editor (in private alpha) shows stat-format-mismatch firing on real glyphs, or check your own work from the CLI:

npx patens audit your-project.font.json

Canonical references

Primary literature where this rule is established or explained. Drawn from the open-licensed corpus — browse the full 38-source canonical library or read the research artifact.

  • OpenType Specification 1.9.1 ↗

    Microsoft Typography · 1997 · Microsoft Corporation· § STAT — AxisValueTables

    STAT format 3 (linkedValue) records italic-axis values as "Italic, linked to upright Regular" — this is what enables proper "Bold Italic" composition. Format 1 for the italic axis breaks Windows style-name display.

Related rules in Variable-font compatibility

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