diff --git a/src/bin/diffenator3.rs b/src/bin/diffenator3.rs
index 49771fa..3976341 100644
--- a/src/bin/diffenator3.rs
+++ b/src/bin/diffenator3.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ struct Cli {
     #[clap(long = "json")]
     json: bool,
 
+    /// Location in design space, in the form axis=123,other=456
+    #[clap(long = "location")]
+    location: Option<String>,
+    
     /// The first font file to compare
     font1: PathBuf,
     /// The second font file to compare
@@ -93,8 +97,8 @@ fn main() {
     let font_binary_a = std::fs::read(cli.font1).expect("Couldn't open file");
     let font_binary_b = std::fs::read(cli.font2).expect("Couldn't open file");
 
-    let font_a = DFont::new(&font_binary_a);
-    let font_b = DFont::new(&font_binary_b);
+    let font_a = DFont::new(&font_binary_a, cli.location.as_deref());
+    let font_b = DFont::new(&font_binary_b, cli.location.as_deref());
     let mut diff = Map::new();
     if cli.tables {
         let table_diff = table_diff(&font_a.fontref(), &font_b.fontref());
diff --git a/src/dfont.rs b/src/dfont.rs
index fbb29ce..246ab5b 100644
--- a/src/dfont.rs
+++ b/src/dfont.rs
@@ -1,26 +1,29 @@
 use font_types::NameId;
 use read_fonts::FontRef;
-use skrifa::MetadataProvider;
+use skrifa::{instance::Location, setting::VariationSetting, MetadataProvider};
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 use ucd::Codepoint;
 
 pub struct DFont {
     pub backing: Vec<u8>,
-    variations: String,
+    pub location: Location,
     pub codepoints: HashSet<u32>,
 }
 
 impl DFont {
-    pub fn new(string: &[u8]) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(string: &[u8], variations: Option<&str>) -> Self {
         let backing: Vec<u8> = string.to_vec();
 
         let mut fnt = DFont {
             backing,
-            variations: "".to_string(),
             codepoints: HashSet::new(),
+            location: Location::default(),
         };
         let cmap = fnt.fontref().charmap();
         fnt.codepoints = cmap.mappings().map(|(cp, _)| cp).collect();
+        if let Some(variations) = variations {
+            fnt.location = fnt.parse_location(variations);
+        }
         fnt
     }
 
@@ -53,6 +56,18 @@ impl DFont {
             .any(|tr| tr.tag() == "fvar")
     }
 
+    fn parse_location(&self, variations: &str) -> Location {
+        let mut settings: Vec<VariationSetting> = vec![];
+        for variation in variations.split(',') {
+            let mut parts = variation.split('=');
+            let axis = parts.next().expect("No axis");
+            let value = parts.next().expect("No value");
+            let value = value.parse::<f32>().expect("Couldn't parse value");
+            settings.push((axis, value).into());
+        }
+        self.fontref().axes().location(&settings)
+    }
+
     pub fn supported_scripts(&self) -> HashSet<String> {
         let cmap = self.fontref().charmap();
         let mut strings = HashSet::new();
diff --git a/src/render/renderer.rs b/src/render/renderer.rs
index 13b6e10..d4b003b 100644
--- a/src/render/renderer.rs
+++ b/src/render/renderer.rs
@@ -55,22 +55,23 @@ pub struct Renderer<'a> {
     face: Face<'a>,
     scale: f32,
     font: skrifa::FontRef<'a>,
+    location: LocationRef<'a>,
     plan: ShapePlan,
     outlines: OutlineGlyphCollection<'a>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> Renderer<'a> {
     pub fn new(
-        font: &'a DFont,
+        dfont: &'a DFont,
         font_size: f32,
         direction: Direction,
         script: Option<rustybuzz::Script>,
     ) -> Self {
-        let face = Face::from_slice(&font.backing, 0).expect("Foo");
-        let font = skrifa::FontRef::new(&font.backing).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+        let face = Face::from_slice(&dfont.backing, 0).expect("Foo");
+        let font = skrifa::FontRef::new(&dfont.backing).unwrap_or_else(|_| {
             panic!(
                 "error constructing a Font from data for {:}",
-                font.family_name()
+                dfont.family_name()
             );
         });
         let plan = ShapePlan::new(&face, direction, script, None, &[]);
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ impl<'a> Renderer<'a> {
             font,
             plan,
             scale: font_size,
+            location: (&dfont.location).into(),
             outlines,
         }
     }
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ impl<'a> Renderer<'a> {
             }
             pen.offset_x = cursor + (position.x_offset as f32 * factor);
             pen.offset_y = -position.y_offset as f32 * factor;
-            let settings = DrawSettings::unhinted(Size::new(self.scale), LocationRef::default());
+            let settings = DrawSettings::unhinted(Size::new(self.scale), self.location);
 
             let _ = self
                 .outlines
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_zeno_path() {
         let path = "NotoSansArabic-NewRegular.ttf";
         let data = std::fs::read(path).unwrap();
-        let font = DFont::new(&data);
+        let font = DFont::new(&data, None);
         let mut renderer = Renderer::new(&font, 40.0, Direction::RightToLeft, Some(script::ARABIC));
         let (_serialized_buffer, commands) = renderer
             .string_to_positioned_glyphs("السلام عليكم")