By default embedded fonts?

[nielsbasjes]

Because it is a very different question from https://github.com/orgs/mermaid-js/discussions/8317 I'm posting this separately.

Assume this mmd file

---
config:
  layout: dagre
---
graph TB

subgraph A["Foo"]
  Hello
end

Then on my Linux machine with docker installed I do these two:

docker run --rm -u "$(id -u):$(id -g)" -v ./:/data minlag/mermaid-cli:11.12.0 -i test.mmd -o test-11.svg
docker run --rm -u "$(id -u):$(id -g)" -v ./:/data minlag/mermaid-cli:12.0.0  -i test.mmd -o test-12.svg

I then have

• test-11.svg : 6790 bytes
• test-12.svg : 195749 bytes

As far as I can tell the difference is that 4 fonts have been embedded by default now.

After adding theme: default to the front matter I get

• test-11.svg : 6790 bytes
• test-12.svg : 10075 bytes

Why does the default now have all of these fonts included?

[wmorin]

It's two v12 changes stacking up, both intentional.

1. mermaid-cli 12 embeds fonts by default. From the 12.0.0 release notes: "Fonts are now embedded into SVG files by default, which increases the size of .svg files. To disable this, use --no-font-embed." (Maintenance/Remove "newDagreD3" switch from the flowchart renderer #1189). The same release also bundles the Recursive and OpenSans fonts (#1092 Fix for mangling of multiple classDiagrams #1190).
2. Mermaid 12 changed the default look. Flowcharts now default to the new redux-color theme, which uses the "Recursive Variable" font, instead of default with "trebuchet ms", verdana, arial. The Mermaid 12 notes say to add layout: dagre, theme: default and look: classic to keep the old look.

So with the new theme the CLI embeds Recursive (that's your 4 @font-face blocks), and with theme: default there's no web font to embed.

I reran your exact commands:

	size
11.12.0	6790
12.0.0	195749 (4 @font-face, Recursive)
12.0.0 --no-font-embed	28679
12.0.0 + theme: default	10075 (no @font-face)

The 28679 is the new theme's CSS and markup, not fonts.

If you want the new theme but a small file, use --no-font-embed. Viewers without Recursive installed then fall back to arial/sans-serif, the rest of the font stack. If you want the old output, set theme: default and look: classic (with theme: default alone you still get the new neo look).

Which of the two are you after, the new look or the old one?