matplotlib · QuLogic · Apr 1, 2026
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/ft2font.pyi
@@ -215,6 +215,34 @@ class _SfntPcltDict(TypedDict):
     widthType: int
     serifStyle: int
 
+class VarAxisFlags(Flag):
+    DEFAULT = cast(int, ...)
+    HIDDEN = cast(int, ...)
+
+@final
+class VariationAxis:
+    @property
+    def name(self) -> str: ...
+    @property
+    def minimum(self) -> float: ...
+    @property
+    def default(self) -> float: ...
+    @property
+    def maximum(self) -> float: ...
+    @property
+    def tag(self) -> int: ...
+    @property
+    def names(self) -> dict[tuple[int, int, int], str | bytes]: ...
+    @property
+    def flags(self) -> VarAxisFlags: ...
+
+@final
+class VariationNamedStyle:
+    @property
+    def names(self) -> dict[tuple[int, int, int], str | bytes]: ...
+    @property
+    def psnames(self) -> dict[tuple[int, int, int], str | bytes] | None: ...
+
 @final
 class LayoutItem:
     @property
@@ -299,6 +327,10 @@ class FT2Font(Buffer):
         features: tuple[str] | None = ...,
         language: str | list[tuple[str, int, int]] | None = ...,
     ) -> NDArray[np.float64]: ...
+    def get_variation_descriptor(self) -> tuple[list[VariationAxis], list[VariationNamedStyle]]: ...
+    def get_default_variation_style(self) -> int: ...
+    def get_variations(self) -> tuple[float, ...]: ...
+    def set_variations(self, variations: tuple[float, ...] | int) -> None: ...
     @property
     def ascender(self) -> int: ...
     @property

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py
@@ -905,6 +905,20 @@ def test_ft2font_loading():
     assert font.get_bitmap_offset() == (0, 0)
 
 
+def test_ft2font_variations_invalid():
+    # Smoke test as we don't have a font that has variations built in.
+    file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file)
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        font.get_variation_descriptor()
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        font.get_variations()
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        font.get_default_variation_style()
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        font.set_variations([0.0])
+
+
 def test_ft2font_drawing():
     expected_str = (
         '          ',

diff --git a/src/ft2font.cpp b/src/ft2font.cpp
@@ -780,3 +780,73 @@ long FT2Font::get_name_index(char *name)
 {
     return FT_Get_Name_Index(face, (FT_String *)name);
 }
+
+FT2Font::VariationInfo FT2Font::get_variation_descriptor()
+{
+    FT_MM_Var *master;
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Get_MM_Var, face, &master);
+
+    std::vector<VariationAxis> axes;
+    axes.reserve(master->num_axis);
+    for (FT_UInt axis_index = 0; axis_index < master->num_axis; axis_index++) {
+        FT_UInt flags = 0;
+        FT_CHECK(FT_Get_Var_Axis_Flags, master, axis_index, &flags);
+        const auto &axis = master->axis[axis_index];
+        axes.emplace_back(axis.name,
+                          float(axis.minimum) / (1<<16),
+                          float(axis.def) / (1<<16),
+                          float(axis.maximum) / (1<<16),
+                          axis.tag,
+                          axis.strid,
+                          flags);
+    }
+
+    std::vector<VariationNamedStyle> styles;
+    styles.reserve(master->num_namedstyles);
+    for (FT_UInt instance = 0; instance < master->num_namedstyles; instance++) {
+        const auto &style = master->namedstyle[instance];
+        styles.emplace_back(style.strid, style.psid);
+    }
+
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Done_MM_Var, _ft2Library, master);
+
+    return {axes, styles};
+}
+
+FT_UInt FT2Font::get_default_variation_style() {
+    FT_UInt result;
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Get_Default_Named_Instance, face, &result);
+    return result;
+}
+
+std::vector<double> FT2Font::get_variations() {
+    FT_MM_Var *master;
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Get_MM_Var, face, &master);
+    std::vector<FT_Fixed> fixed_coords(master->num_axis);
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Done_MM_Var, _ft2Library, master);
+
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Get_Var_Design_Coordinates, face, fixed_coords.size(),
+             fixed_coords.data());
+
+    std::vector<double> coords;
+    coords.reserve(fixed_coords.size());
+    for (auto const &c : fixed_coords) {
+        coords.emplace_back(static_cast<double>(c) / (1 << 16));
+    }
+
+    return coords;
+}
+
+void FT2Font::set_variations(std::vector<double> coords) {
+    std::vector<FT_Fixed> fixed_coords;
+    fixed_coords.reserve(coords.size());
+    for (auto const &c : coords) {
+        fixed_coords.emplace_back(static_cast<FT_Fixed>(c * (1 << 16)));
+    }
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Set_Var_Design_Coordinates, face, fixed_coords.size(),
+             fixed_coords.data());
+}
+
+void FT2Font::set_variations(FT_UInt instance_index) {
+    FT_CHECK(FT_Set_Named_Instance, face, instance_index);
+}
diff --git a/src/ft2font.h b/src/ft2font.h
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ extern "C" {
 #include FT_BITMAP_H
 #include FT_FREETYPE_H
 #include FT_GLYPH_H
+#include FT_MULTIPLE_MASTERS_H
 #include FT_OUTLINE_H
 #include FT_SFNT_NAMES_H
 #include FT_TYPE1_TABLES_H
+#include FT_TRUETYPE_IDS_H
 #include FT_TRUETYPE_TABLES_H
 }
 
@@ -183,6 +185,23 @@ class FT2Font
         return FT_HAS_KERNING(face);
     }
 
+    using VariationAxis = std::tuple<
+        std::string,  // name
+        FT_Fixed,  // minimum
+        FT_Fixed,  // default
+        FT_Fixed,  // maximum
+        FT_ULong,  // tag
+        FT_UInt,  // name ID
+        FT_UInt>;  // flags
+    using VariationNamedStyle = std::tuple<FT_UInt, FT_UInt>;  // name ID, postscript ID
+    using VariationInfo = std::tuple<std::vector<VariationAxis>,
+                                     std::vector<VariationNamedStyle>>;
+    VariationInfo get_variation_descriptor();
+    FT_UInt get_default_variation_style();
+    std::vector<double> get_variations();
+    void set_variations(std::vector<double> coords);
+    void set_variations(FT_UInt instance_index);
+
   protected:
     virtual void ft_glyph_warn(FT_ULong charcode, std::set<FT_String*> family_names) = 0;
   private: