MWE as follows:

\definefontfamily [mainface] [rm] [baskervaldadfstd] [tf=file:BaskervaldADFStd.otf]
\definefontfamily [mainface] [ss] [librisadfstd] [tf=file:LibrisADFStd-Regular.otf]
\definefontfamily [mainface] [mm] [TeX Gyre Pagella Math]

\setupbodyfont[mainface]

\starttext
\tf ffi,

\it ffi,

\bf ffi,

\bi ffi.

\ss THIS IS A TITLE IN SANS SERIF

\tt Monospaced

\stoptext

Context then tells me that:

mkiv lua stats > loaded fonts: 6 files: baskervaldadfstd-bold.otf, baskervaldadfstd-bolditalic.otf, baskervaldadfstd-italic.otf, baskervaldadfstd.otf, librisadfstd-bolditalic.otf, texgyrepagella-math.otf

So, in this instance, and as you explained would be the case, it is loading the sans serif family (Libris) but I note that it is not giving me what I asked for, which was LibrisADFStd-Regular.otf. Instead it has given me LibrisADFStd-BoldItalic.otf

And I deliberately did not include any maths, or itemize or anything that might involve those symbols, thinking it would not then load the Pagella Maths file, but it did. So my two questions now are

1. Why is it loading Libris BoldItalic and not Regular as asked for?

2. If I am not using Maths so far, why is it loading the Pagella math file?

Julian

On 26/8/20 1:18 pm, Aditya Mahajan wrote:

On Wed, 26 Aug 2020, jbf wrote:

I intend to use it! So, yes, I had not used it at this point, and your
explanation now makes sense.

In the test example I have, I have now placed a line:  \ss My text, and I see
that it now loads the sans serif font. But can you explain why it loads the
math font, given that I have not, as yet, used that anywhere (and may not - it
is there for insurance in case such a glyph is needed)?

A complete minimal working example will help ... (some symbols, like the bullet in itemize is taken from the math font).

Aditya