Note: this project will be at the end of class on this day. You will do any final edits to your font and poster and print it if you’re done that day. We’ll critique the project the next class and begin a new project.
Objective
Take images of signage and one-off imagery of type that is clearly not a typeface (at least 20). You are to select along with me, from the gathering of images you have compiled, a set of letters that you would like to turn into a full typeface. Your typeface will not be a copy of the material you gathered, but rather an interpretation of it as a digital, reusable typeface.
(Ethics…)
Poster (Type Specimen) Specs
- 12 x 18 inches
(1 inch margin around the edges) - All uppercase or all lowercase, and ampersand
Should contain typeface name, a description and your name. Like:
Excavate, A strong and rustic display face, by Derek Weathersbee
Poster Content
- Name
- Phrase (showing the type in use; a short description of your font is a good option)
- Show all the letters, A-Z, listed out in a grid-like fashion
- Design the poster so it makes sense with the font
See the type specimens here and here
Type DNA to Consider
- Contrast in stroke weights
- Axis or lack thereof
- Serif shapes and locations should be logical (mostly consistent)
- Consistent terminals
- Letters should work together to create words (imagine that)
- Consistent x-height or crossbar heights
- Consistent ascenders/descenders
Instructions
Choose a Route
Share with me the samples you have gathered and we will decide together the route you will take, and I will give advice as to what you should hone in on, what you should correct. Make notes of the significant features of the letters that make it unique and worth building out. Due class after assignment
Start sketching
Sketch out the entire alphabet, tightly enough to see how your letters are actually going to work. With a pencil, on paper. You will want to work on lined paper here, and a ruler (and in some cases a compass) will be handy. This allows you to more quickly see whether your letters provide enough DNA for the entire alphabet. These should be at least around 1.5 inches tall. Don’t simply sketch your way through each letter to meet a quota. Get each letter sketched to the point that it is ready to be transferred to Illustrator, meaning you are likely to have multiple sketches of most of your letters. Due 2 classes after assignment
Some good words/letter to start with:
- Lowercase: atomic, exactly
- Uppercase: P A S K E O
Build it in Illustrator
Once you have had your sketches reviewed and approved, then move into creating them in Illustrator. You will follow the specs given above for size and for presentation. Create your letters so that they all obey a consistent base line and cap height, as well as consistent type anatomy (crossbars, x-height). I would recommend creating them in one line so you might easily so how they flow together as words.
Here are a couple examples of individual type designers that do pretty solid type specimens, but you can find these on most font distribution sites, like fonts.com: marksimonson.com | weathersbeetype.com
Turning your letters into a font
Use the following instructions and template to build a font from your letters in TypeTool or Fontlab.
A couple preferences to set:
- Contour / Coordinates / Apply Rounding
- Set Keyboard Shortcuts: Tools / Commands / Click on Actions (or other item). Press the key combo you wish to bring up that panel, then click Set
- In the Kerning Panel, select View / Metrics Table if you’d rather type in numbers than drag the handles.
Submission
Place your working file and a pdf of the file in a folder labeled [lastname_f-project2] and place it in the dropbox by the beginning of class on the due date. You will also print the project out full size and present that for critique.
- Digital files, ai and pdf for the poster
- Working files for the font (Illustrator), as well as the otf that you generate
- Full Size Print
- There will be no color restrictions, but you most likely only need a few colors. The type specimen poster should include the name of the typeface.
The printed submission is subject to change based upon circumstances. It should not affect the flow of the project early on.
Resources
- http://www.foundtype.com/
- http://www.foundfont.com
- Make sure your points are minimized
- Glyph tutorials / references
- Re-use letter DNA: a solid resource for constructing letters from other letters