font-size is not responsive after changing px to rem

Question

After being inspired from this Pen By Dannie Vinther that shows how to make fonts responsive without using media queries, I decided to make another Pen, but using rem as Dannie Vinther's pen uses px. I made some changes, but it does not working.

Here is my code:

* {
  /* Setting root font size*/
  --root-size: 20px;
  font-size: var(--root-size, 20px);
  /* Typography */
  --main-font: 'Slabo 27px', serif;
  /* Calculation, Ranges from 421px to 1199px */
  --responsive: calc((var(--min-font) * var(--root-size)) + (var(--max-font) - var(--min-font)) * ((100vw - 420px) / (1200 - 420)));
}

h1 {
  /* Set max and min font sizes */
  --max-font: 2.5;
  /* 2.5rem equals to 50px */
  --min-font: 1.25;
  /* 1.25rem equals to 25px */
  font-family: var(--main-font);
  font-size: var(--responsive);
}

p {
  font-family: sans-serif;
  margin: auto;
  width: fit-content;
  /* Set max and min font sizes */
  --max-font: 1;
  /* 1rem equals to 25px */
  --min-font: 0.7;
  /* 0.7rem equals to 14px */
  font-size: var(--responsive);
}

@media (min-width: 1200px) {
  h1,
  p {
    font-size: calc(var(--max-font) * var(--root-size));
  }
}

@media (max-width: 420px) {
  h1,
  p {
    font-size: calc(var(--min-font) * var(--root-size));
  }
}


/* Whatever */

* {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

html,
body {
  height: 100%;
}

body {
  display: flex;
}

div {
  margin: auto;
  padding: var(--root-size);
}

a,
a:visited,
a:focus,
a:active,
a:link {
  text-decoration: none;
  outline: 0;
}

a {
  color: skyblue;
  transition: .2s ease-in-out color;
}

h1,
h2,
h3,
h4 {
  margin: .3em 0;
}

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Slabo+27px" rel="stylesheet">
<div>
  <h1>Responsive text with CSS Custom Properties</h1>
  <p>Custom Properties <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://caniuse.com/#feat=css-variables">isn't supported</a> by IE.</p>
  <p>Inspired From <a href="https://codepen.io/dannievinther/pen/GNExxb?editors=1100">A PEN BY Dannie Vinther</a></p>
</div>

In my code, font-size is almost constant. It changes on 720px. font-size become equals to 50px, when the screen width is more than or equals to 720px. And 25px when the screen width is less than 720px. Only little change in font-size is observed when the screen width decreases from 720px to 420px.

I'm unable to figure out the root cause. Please help. Thank you.

Answer 1

Your formula isn't correct. If we consider this part: ((100vw - 420px) / (1200 - 420)) we will have 0px when 100vw is equal to 420px and 1px when equal to 1200px. Then you multiply by (var(--max-font) - var(--min-font)) which is equal to 1.25 for the h1 so basically you will have a value between 0px and 1.25px and if we add the main part ((var(--min-font) * var(--root-size))) we will have a font-size between 25px and only 26.25px not 50px.

You are missing the multiplication by var(--root-size) in the second part. Doing so you will have a value between 0px and 25px BUT there is an issue because you cannot do this multiplication since you will have px*px which is invalid using calc.

To overcome this, your font-size need to be defined uniteless and your fomula need to be adjusted like below:

* {
  /* Setting root font size*/
  --root-size: 20;
  font-size: calc(var(--root-size, 20) * 1px);
  /* Typography */
  --main-font: 'Slabo 27px', serif;
  /* Calculation, Ranges from 421px to 1199px */
  --responsive: calc((var(--min-font) * var(--root-size) * 1px) + (var(--max-font) - var(--min-font)) * var(--root-size) * ((100vw - 420px) / (1200 - 420)));
}

h1 {
  /* Set max and min font sizes */
  --max-font: 2.5;
  /* 2.5rem equals to 50px */
  --min-font: 1.25;
  /* 1.25rem equals to 25px */
  font-family: var(--main-font);
  font-size: var(--responsive);
}

p {
  font-family: sans-serif;
  margin: auto;
  width: fit-content;
  /* Set max and min font sizes */
  --max-font: 1;
  /* 1rem equals to 25px */
  --min-font: 0.7;
  /* 0.7rem equals to 14px */
  font-size: var(--responsive);
}

@media (min-width: 1200px) {
  h1,
  p {
    font-size: calc(var(--max-font) * var(--root-size) * 1px);
  }
  body {
   background:red;
  }
}

@media (max-width: 420px) {
  h1,
  p {
    font-size: calc(var(--min-font) * var(--root-size) * 1px);
  }
  body {
   background:blue;
  }
}


/* Whatever */

* {
  box-sizing: border-box;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

html,
body {
  height: 100%;
}

body {
  display: flex;
}

div {
  margin: auto;
  padding: var(--root-size);
}

a,
a:visited,
a:focus,
a:active,
a:link {
  text-decoration: none;
  outline: 0;
}

a {
  color: skyblue;
  transition: .2s ease-in-out color;
}

h1,
h2,
h3,
h4 {
  margin: .3em 0;
}

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Slabo+27px" rel="stylesheet">
<div>
  <h1>Responsive text with CSS Custom Properties</h1>
  <p>Custom Properties <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://caniuse.com/#feat=css-variables">isn't supported</a> by IE.</p>
  <p>Inspired From <a href="https://codepen.io/dannievinther/pen/GNExxb?editors=1100">A PEN BY Dannie Vinther</a></p>
</div>