typesshort

Typesshort is a term used in typography and design workflows to designate an abbreviated code for a typeface or font family within metadata, design tokens, and style guides. It is not a formal standard but a practical convention used to keep references concise in interfaces where space is at a premium, such as design systems, asset catalogs, and UI previews.

In typical practice, a typesshort is formed by taking a compact representation of a font’s name, sometimes including weight or style, and compressing it into an uppercase string or acronym. Examples might include SSPB for Source Sans Pro Bold or OSR for Open Sans Regular. Conventions vary by team, and some organizations maintain a mapping file that links the typesshort to the full font specification.

Typesshort is commonly used in design tokens, JSON or YAML files, CSS variable names, and file-naming schemes to reduce verbosity when referencing fonts across code and documentation. It is usually documented alongside the full font-family declaration to avoid ambiguity.

Because typesshort is not standardized, it can lead to ambiguity between similar-looking codes and complicate updates when font families are added or renamed. Proper governance—documentation, a central registry, and clear mapping to full names—helps mitigate these issues.

Related concepts include typeface, font family, design token, and typography systems. The term reflects a broader trend toward compact metadata in modern design workflows.