A better way to use Dynamic Type with a custom font in Swift 3/iOS10

ios swift fonts uifontdescriptor dynamic-type-feature
11,460

Solution 1

The problem with this method is that the text size won't change until the user goes back to the app, and then the user would see the old text size change to the new size, which is not ideal.

I share your thoughts that this would probably be a better UX, but I guess you are overthinking it a bit.

If you have a look at system provided Apps (e.g. Contacts) you will clearly see that the refresh is not done until the user goes back to the app, too.

By the way, you could refactor your code a bit for Swift 3:

extension UIFontDescriptor {

    private struct SubStruct {
        static var preferredFontName: String = "Avenir-medium"
    }

    static let fontSizeTable: [UIFontTextStyle: [UIContentSizeCategory: CGFloat]] = [
        .headline: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 23,
            .accessibilityLarge: 23,
            .accessibilityMedium: 23,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            .extraExtraLarge: 21,
            .extraLarge: 19,
            .large: 17,
            .medium: 16,
            .small: 15,
            .extraSmall: 14
        ],
        .subheadline: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 21,
            .accessibilityLarge: 21,
            .accessibilityMedium: 21,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            .extraExtraLarge: 19,
            .extraLarge: 17,
            .large: 15,
            .medium: 14,
            .small: 13,
            .extraSmall: 12
        ],
        .body: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 53,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 47,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 40,
            .accessibilityLarge: 33,
            .accessibilityMedium: 28,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            .extraExtraLarge: 21,
            .extraLarge: 19,
            .large: 17,
            .medium: 16,
            .small: 15,
            .extraSmall: 14
        ],
        .caption1: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 18,
            .accessibilityLarge: 18,
            .accessibilityMedium: 18,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            .extraExtraLarge: 16,
            .extraLarge: 14,
            .large: 12,
            .medium: 11,
            .small: 11,
            .extraSmall: 11
        ],
        .caption2: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 17,
            .accessibilityLarge: 17,
            .accessibilityMedium: 17,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            .extraExtraLarge: 15,
            .extraLarge: 13,
            .large: 11,
            .medium: 11,
            .small: 11,
            .extraSmall: 11
        ],
        .footnote: [
            .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            .accessibilityExtraLarge: 19,
            .accessibilityLarge: 19,
            .accessibilityMedium: 19,
            .extraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            .extraExtraLarge: 17,
            .extraLarge: 15,
            .large: 13,
            .medium: 12,
            .small: 12,
            .extraSmall: 12
        ]
    ]

    final class func preferredDescriptor(textStyle: UIFontTextStyle) -> UIFontDescriptor {
        let contentSize = UIApplication.shared.preferredContentSizeCategory
        let style = fontSizeTable[textStyle]!
        return UIFontDescriptor(name: SubStruct.preferredFontName, size: style[contentSize]!)
    }
}

No need to cast to NSDictionary or NSNumber and get the floatValue indirectly.

This way your call site can use the following, more readable code:

func userChangedTextSize(notification: NSNotification) {
    label.font = UIFont(descriptor: .preferredDescriptor(textStyle: .body), size: 0)

}

Edit: As I am working on the same right now, I improved the above (on SO commonly seen solution) to something way easier.

import UIKIt

extension UIFont {

    private struct CustomFont {
        static var fontFamily = "Avenir"
    }

    /// Returns a bold version of `self`
    public var bolded: UIFont {
        return fontDescriptor.withSymbolicTraits(.traitBold)
            .map { UIFont(descriptor: $0, size: 0) } ?? self
    }

    /// Returns an italic version of `self`
    public var italicized: UIFont {
        return fontDescriptor.withSymbolicTraits(.traitItalic)
            .map { UIFont(descriptor: $0, size: 0) } ?? self
    }

    /// Returns a scaled version of `self`
    func scaled(scaleFactor: CGFloat) -> UIFont {
        let newDescriptor = fontDescriptor.withSize(fontDescriptor.pointSize * scaleFactor)
        return UIFont(descriptor: newDescriptor, size: 0)
    }

    class func preferredCustomFont(forTextStyle textStyle: UIFontTextStyle) -> UIFont {
        // we are using the UIFontDescriptor which is less expensive than creating an intermediate UIFont
        let systemFontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.preferredFontDescriptor(withTextStyle: textStyle)

        let customFontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.init(fontAttributes: [
            UIFontDescriptorFamilyAttribute: CustomFont.fontFamily,
            UIFontDescriptorSizeAttribute: systemFontDescriptor.pointSize // use the font size of the default dynamic font
        ])

        // return font of new family with same size as the preferred system font
        return UIFont(descriptor: customFontDescriptor, size: 0)
    }

}

Usage

func userChangedTextSize(notification: NSNotification) {
    label.font = UIFont.preferredCustomFont(forTextStyle: .headline)
    // or in Bold / Italic:
    // label.font = UIFont.preferredCustomFont(forTextStyle: .headline).bolded
    // label.font = UIFont.preferredCustomFont(forTextStyle: .headline).italicized
}

Solution 2

Frederik's Winkelsdorf version fo code but tweaked to use two different Font Family (default one and bold) plus sample of usage.

MyFontExtension.swift

import UIKit
extension UIFontDescriptor {
    private struct FontFamily {
        static var preferredFontNameRegular: String = "Montserrat-Regular"
        static var preferredFontNameBold: String = "Montserrat-Bold"
    }
    
    static let fontSizeTable: [UIFontTextStyle: [UIContentSizeCategory: CGFloat]] = [
    .headline: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 23,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 23,
        .accessibilityLarge: 23,
        .accessibilityMedium: 23,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
        .extraExtraLarge: 21,
        .extraLarge: 19,
        .large: 17,
        .medium: 16,
        .small: 15,
        .extraSmall: 14
    ],
    .subheadline: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 21,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 21,
        .accessibilityLarge: 21,
        .accessibilityMedium: 21,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
        .extraExtraLarge: 19,
        .extraLarge: 17,
        .large: 15,
        .medium: 14,
        .small: 13,
        .extraSmall: 12
    ],
    .body: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 53,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 47,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 40,
        .accessibilityLarge: 33,
        .accessibilityMedium: 28,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
        .extraExtraLarge: 21,
        .extraLarge: 19,
        .large: 17,
        .medium: 16,
        .small: 15,
        .extraSmall: 14
    ],
    .caption1: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 18,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 18,
        .accessibilityLarge: 18,
        .accessibilityMedium: 18,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
        .extraExtraLarge: 16,
        .extraLarge: 14,
        .large: 12,
        .medium: 11,
        .small: 11,
        .extraSmall: 11
    ],
    .caption2: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 17,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 17,
        .accessibilityLarge: 17,
        .accessibilityMedium: 17,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
        .extraExtraLarge: 15,
        .extraLarge: 13,
        .large: 11,
        .medium: 11,
        .small: 11,
        .extraSmall: 11
    ],
    .footnote: [
        .accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
        .accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 19,
        .accessibilityExtraLarge: 19,
        .accessibilityLarge: 19,
        .accessibilityMedium: 19,
        .extraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
        .extraExtraLarge: 17,
        .extraLarge: 15,
        .large: 13,
        .medium: 12,
        .small: 12,
        .extraSmall: 12
    ]
]
    
    final class func preferredDescriptor(textStyle: UIFont.TextStyle, styleBold: Bool = false) -> UIFontDescriptor {
        let contentSize = UIApplication.shared.preferredContentSizeCategory
                
        let fontFamily = styleBold ? FontFamily.preferredFontNameBold : FontFamily.preferredFontNameRegular
        
        guard let style = fontSizeTable[textStyle], let size = style[contentSize] else {
            return UIFontDescriptor(name: fontFamily, size: 16)
        }
        return UIFontDescriptor(name: fontFamily, size: size)
    }
}

myViewController.swift

myBoldLabel.font = UIFont(descriptor: .preferredDescriptor(textStyle: .body, styleBold: true), size: 0)

myNormalLabel.font = UIFont(descriptor: .preferredDescriptor(textStyle: .body), size: 0)

Solution 3

Swift 4: Custom scaled Font supporting Accessibility (German BITV)

//UIFont+CustomScaledFont.swift

import UIKit

extension UIFont {

    /// Scaled and styled version of any custom Font
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - name: Name of the Font
    ///   - textStyle: The text style i.e Body, Title, ...
    /// - Returns: The scaled custom Font version with the given textStyle 
    static func scaledFont(name:String, textStyle: UIFont.TextStyle) -> UIFont {

        let fontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.preferredFontDescriptor(withTextStyle: textStyle)

        guard let customFont = UIFont(name: name, size: fontDescriptor.pointSize) else {
            fatalError("Failed to load the \(name) font.")
        }

        return UIFontMetrics.default.scaledFont(for: customFont)
    }
}

After successfully adding custom fonts to your project...

Print available font names:

for family in UIFont.familyNames {
    for name in UIFont.fontNames(forFamilyName: family) {
        print(name)
    }
 }

Setup Example:

myLabel.text = "My scaled custom Font"
myLabel.font = UIFont.scaledFont(name: "MyCustomFontName-Bold", textStyle: .title1)
myLabel.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true

Test with Accessibility Inspector (MacOS)

Solution 4

Fred answer but in Swift 5 (I tried to edit the original post but the edit queue is always full):

import UIKit

extension UIFont {

    private struct CustomFont {
        static var fontFamily = "Avenir"
    }

    /// Returns a bold version of `self`
    public var bolded: UIFont {
        return fontDescriptor.withSymbolicTraits(.traitBold)
            .map { UIFont(descriptor: $0, size: 0) } ?? self
    }

    /// Returns an italic version of `self`
    public var italicized: UIFont {
        return fontDescriptor.withSymbolicTraits(.traitItalic)
            .map { UIFont(descriptor: $0, size: 0) } ?? self
    }

    /// Returns a scaled version of `self`
    func scaled(scaleFactor: CGFloat) -> UIFont {
        let newDescriptor = fontDescriptor.withSize(fontDescriptor.pointSize * scaleFactor)
        return UIFont(descriptor: newDescriptor, size: 0)
    }

    class func preferredCustomFont(forTextStyle textStyle: UIFont.TextStyle) -> UIFont {
        // we are using the UIFontDescriptor which is less expensive than creating an intermediate UIFont
        let systemFontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.preferredFontDescriptor(withTextStyle: textStyle)

        let customFontDescriptor = UIFontDescriptor.init(fontAttributes: [
            UIFontDescriptor.AttributeName.family: CustomFont.fontFamily,
            UIFontDescriptor.AttributeName.size: systemFontDescriptor.pointSize // use the font size of the default dynamic font
        ])

        // return font of new family with same size as the preferred system font
        return UIFont(descriptor: customFontDescriptor, size: 0)
    }

}
Share:
11,460
ielyamani
Author by

ielyamani

You can email me at [email protected]

Updated on July 07, 2022

Comments

  • ielyamani
    ielyamani almost 2 years

    I tried two ways:

    Method 1:

    label.font = UIFont.preferredFont(forTextStyle: UIFontTextStyle.body)
label.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true

    This works fine, even when the preferred text size is changed in the Settings, the text size changes automatically, even before when I go back to the app. But it only works with the system font (San Francisco).

    Method 2:

    To use a custom font, I add an extension to UIFontDescriptor:

    //from this answer http://stackoverflow.com/a/35467158/2907715
extension UIFontDescriptor {

    private struct SubStruct {
        static var preferredFontName: String = "Avenir-medium"
    }

    static let fontSizeTable : NSDictionary = [
        UIFontTextStyle.headline: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 16,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 15,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 14
        ],
        UIFontTextStyle.subheadline: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 15,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 14,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 13,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 12
        ],
        UIFontTextStyle.body: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 53,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 47,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 40,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 33,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 28,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 23,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 21,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 16,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 15,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 14
        ],
        UIFontTextStyle.caption1: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 18,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 16,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 14,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 12,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 11,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 11,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 11
        ],
        UIFontTextStyle.caption2: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 15,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 13,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 11,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 11,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 11,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 11
        ],
        UIFontTextStyle.footnote: [
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityExtraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.accessibilityMedium: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraExtraLarge: 19,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraExtraLarge: 17,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraLarge: 15,
            UIContentSizeCategory.large: 13,
            UIContentSizeCategory.medium: 12,
            UIContentSizeCategory.small: 12,
            UIContentSizeCategory.extraSmall: 12
        ],
        ]

    final class func preferredDescriptor(textStyle: String) -> UIFontDescriptor {

        let contentSize = UIApplication.shared.preferredContentSizeCategory
        let style = fontSizeTable[textStyle] as! NSDictionary
        return UIFontDescriptor(name: SubStruct.preferredFontName, size: CGFloat((style[contentSize] as! NSNumber).floatValue))
    }

}

    and in viewDidLoad():

    label.font = UIFont(descriptor: UIFontDescriptor.preferredDescriptor(textStyle: UIFontTextStyle.body.rawValue), size: 0)
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector:#selector(self.userChangedTextSize(notification:)), name: NSNotification.Name.UIContentSizeCategoryDidChange, object: nil)

    here is the userChangedTextSize function:

    func userChangedTextSize(notification: NSNotification) {
    label.font = UIFont(descriptor: UIFontDescriptor.preferredDescriptor(textStyle: UIFontTextStyle.body.rawValue), size: 0)
}

    The problem with this method is that the text size won't change until the user goes back to the app, and then the user would see the old text size change to the new size, which is not ideal.

    Could I have the best of both worlds: a custom font with a size that changes automatically in the background?

  • ielyamani
    ielyamani about 7 years
    This is definitely more romantic. The first version gives more control over the size to give text when the UIContentSizeCategory changes: you don't have to use the default sizes (11...53), Which could mess up the whole ui hierarchy and nothing would be readable on iPhone plus sizes. The Medium app reacts to UIContentSizeCategory changes in a subtle way: changing the font size by a smidgen and increasing the line height.
  • Frederik Winkelsdorf
    Frederik Winkelsdorf about 7 years
    Thanks! Feel free to combine the solutions to have the best of both approaches. Agreed, the previous gives you subtle control over the sizes to provide good and readable layouts while still decreasing/increasing the type. As far as I can see the given code uses the defaults, so my approach would be a viable shortening for anyone who wants to stick to the defaults. Medium is a very good example for using custom sizes! I still wonder why .Body is increased up to 53 points by Apple.. This would break nearly every thinkable layout.
  • ielyamani
    ielyamani about 7 years
    Bonmot can monitor content size category changes. But still the result isn't smooth enough. Even using viewWillAppear isn't enough because the app switcher keeps a snapshot of the app using the previous content size. Anyway, later on I'll look into animating the content size category change: e.g going from large to accessibilityExtraExtraExtraLarge would go through all UIContentSizeCategorys in between, inspired by this article
  • koen
    koen over 6 years
    I really like this approach - it also makes it very easy to have more than one custom font.
  • koen
    koen almost 6 years
    Note that for iOS 10 and higher, you don't have to respond to the UIContentSizeCategoryDidChange notification anymore, but can set adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory for the label. Also supposed to work for UITextField and UITextView.
  • zgjie
    zgjie about 5 years
    This does not work if the app launch with non-default scale. UIFontDescriptor.preferredFontDescriptor(withTextStyle: textStyle) will get the scaled value, and use scaledFont method it will scaled again.
  • Ben Shabat
    Ben Shabat about 5 years
    when ' userChangedTextSize ' is getting called? i put breakpoint there and it never get called for me.
  • Frederik Winkelsdorf
    Frederik Winkelsdorf about 5 years
    @BenShabat You likely missed adding the NotificationCenter addObserver in viewDidLoad (see the initial question for details). Could you please check that?
  • Ben Shabat
    Ben Shabat about 5 years
    @FrederikA.Winkelsdorf i figured out how to work it out i had to use traitCollectionDidChange
  • Frederik Winkelsdorf
    Frederik Winkelsdorf about 5 years
    Ok, glad to hear that you figured it out! My post likely needs a bit of an overhaul for alle the changes since early 2017..
  • Basil
    Basil over 3 years
    I tried this solution it doesn't notice my custom font , it use the default font , I'm very sure I change 'fontFamily' to my custom font
  • Basil
    Basil over 3 years
    Thank you, this solution working great with me
  • Frederik Winkelsdorf
    Frederik Winkelsdorf over 3 years
    @Basil for Custom Fonts in iOS you'll always have to add them to the Info.plist first, you're likely missing them there. Thus said, this solution is a couple of years old now and I would tend to use other approaches available with newer iOS Versions now (using scaledFont). See this blog for more insights: useyourloaf.com/blog/using-a-custom-font-with-dynamic-type.
  • blyscuit
    blyscuit over 2 years
    UIFontMetrics is for iOS11 and above, the question asked about iOS10.

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