Typography - Task 03
(Week 7 - Week 14) [Deadline : Week 13]
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
I begin by sketching out the characters on paper, considering the style I want— sans-serif, handwritten, etc.
Choosing the Tools:Use software designed for font creation, I used Adobe Illustrator for the initial digitalisation then font lab 7 studio for the final font outcome.
Digitalise Sketches: I scanned my initial sketches and import them into Adobe Illustrator, then started to digitalise them with the given characters: "o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #"
Refinement and Consistency:Pay attention to spacing, alignment, and uniformity of each character. Adjust the kerning (space between letters) to ensure readability.
Add Variation (Optional):
If I'd want to create different font weights (bold, italic, etc.), design variations based on my primary font. This step is optional for us beginners.
- Test the Font:
- Export your font and install it on your computer to test it in various applications like Word, Photoshop, etc. Check for readability and any issues with individual characters.
Studying the anatomy of typefaces is fundamental for a design student, as it lays the groundwork for understanding the structure and characteristics of fonts. Here's a breakdown of the basics:
Baseline: The baseline is an invisible line upon which most characters sit. It provides alignment for the letters and establishes their vertical position.
X-Height: This refers to the height of the lowercase letters, specifically the height of the main body of a lowercase letter (excluding ascenders and descenders).
Cap Height: The cap height represents the height of uppercase letters, specifically the distance from the baseline to the top of uppercase letters.
Ascender: Ascenders are the parts of lowercase letters that extend above the x-height, such as the vertical stroke in 'h' or 'b'.
Descender: Descenders are the parts of lowercase letters that extend below the baseline, like the tail of 'g' or 'y'.
Stem: The main vertical stroke of a letter is known as the stem. Letters like 'l', 'h', and 'n' have stems.
Serif: Serifs are the small decorative strokes or tails at the end of character strokes. Fonts with serifs are called serif fonts (e.g, Times New Roman).
Sans-serif: Fonts without serifs are called sans-serif fonts (e.g, Arial). These fonts have a cleaner and more modern appearance.
Counter: The enclosed or partially enclosed space within a letter, like the circular space inside the 'o' or 'e', is called a counter.
Bowl: The curved part that encloses the counter of letters like 'd', 'b', or 'p' is known as the bowl.
Understanding these basic elements of type anatomy provides a foundation for analyzing, selecting, and designing typefaces effectively. It helps in recognizing and appreciating the subtle differences between various fonts, enabling a designer to make informed choices based on the intended design, readability, and overall aesthetic appeal. Learning the anatomy of typefaces is pivotal for a design student to develop a keen eye for typography and enhance their design skills.
The reference above is the kind of font I would want to achieve, simple and digestible for the readers to read. an everyday or even a font that would be used in almost every occasion where it suits best, formal events, invitation letters heading, research or thesis titles.
Alethia Pro Semi Bold
Alethia Pro Semi Bold is a typeface that embodies a harmonious blend of modernity and sophistication. Part of the Alethia Pro font family, it stands out for its clarity and versatility. With a semi-bold weight, it strikes a balance between strong visual impact and readability.
This font's simplicity is its hallmark, yet it exudes a sense of elegance and professionalism. The semi-bold variant of Alethia Pro carries a distinct personality, making it ideal for various design purposes. Its clean lines and balanced proportions contribute to its legibility, even at smaller sizes, ensuring readability across different mediums.
Designed with meticulous attention to detail, Alethia Pro Semi Bold retains its clarity and visual appeal in both print and digital formats. Its versatility allows for effective use in branding, editorial design, headlines, and user interfaces.
Characterized by its consistent stroke width and carefully crafted letterforms, Alethia Pro Semi Bold strikes a chord between contemporary design trends and timeless aesthetics. The font's confident and assertive presence makes it an excellent choice for conveying a message with clarity and style.
In summary, Alethia Pro Semi Bold is a refined and versatile typeface that effortlessly balances simplicity with sophistication. Its semi-bold weight adds emphasis and impact to any design while maintaining readability and elegance, making it a valuable asset for designers seeking a modern yet timeless typographic solution.
Passion Sans PDai
Passion Sans PDai is a contemporary sans-serif typeface designed with a clean and minimalistic approach. Its simplicity belies its versatility, making it suitable for a wide range of design applications. This font is characterized by its balanced proportions, clear letterforms, and excellent legibility both in print and on screens.
The typeface includes a variety of weights and styles, offering designers flexibility in their creative projects while maintaining consistency across different variations. Passion Sans PDai exhibits a modern aesthetic, featuring subtle yet distinctive details in its letter shapes that contribute to its unique identity. Its simplicity and clarity make it an ideal choice for branding, editorial design, web applications, and other visual communication mediums, where readability and a contemporary appearance are paramount. Overall, Passion Sans PDai is a functional and elegant typeface that embodies a perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication.
I wanted to showcase and create a typographic font that blends my personal handwriting style with a more symmetrical, simple/basic and balanced design. To achieve this, I created a font that maintains the touch of my handwriting, but still, not too much of a spot-on handwriting kind of look, but more universal, while ensuring each character is neat, nearly the same width, and size, making it look more polished and consistent.
I started by analysing my own handwriting style and identifying the distinctive features to compare with and those that I wanted to incorporate into the font. Then, using design software, I carefully crafted each letter, number, and symbol, paying close attention to symmetry, balance, and uniformity. It was important to me that every character looked consistent in width and size to create a harmonious and a more day-to-day use of a font.
Throughout the process, I aimed to achieve a more standardised and organised look while maintaining tweaking letter shapes, adjusting spacing, and ensuring that the overall font had a cohesive and uniform appearance.
By striking a balance between my personal liking and the need for symmetry and uniformity, I've created a font that reflects my handwriting while being tidy, balanced, and consistent across all characters. This font represents my efforts to blend creativity with structure, making it suitable for various design applications
Inconsistent Glyph Design:
Avoid inconsistency in glyph (letter, number, or symbol) design. Ensure that similar elements are consistent across characters, maintaining uniformity in strokes, angles, and shapes. Inconsistencies can affect readability and the overall aesthetics of the font.
Neglecting Kerning and Spacing:
Neglecting proper kerning (adjusting space between individual characters) and spacing can avoid overlooking this crucial aspect as it significantly affects the readability and appearance of your font.
Overcomplicating Design:
Newbie font creators might tend to overcomplicate their designs, adding unnecessary details or extravagant flourishes that could detract from readability. Keep the design simple, ensuring that each character remains clear and easily recognisable.
Ignoring Font Metrics:
Ignoring font metrics such as ascenders (parts of letters that extend above the x-height), descenders (parts that extend below the baseline), and baselines can result the font that doesn't align properly or appears misaligned when used in text.
Skipping Testing in Various Environments:
Failing to test your font in different environments and applications can be a significant mistake. Fonts might behave differently across software or platforms. Ensure your font works well in different programs, screen resolutions, and sizes for optimal performance and usability.
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fig 2.4 Final Task 3: Type Design and Communication "Verse" (PDF 300ppi)
Week 11
General feedback: stressed on the consistency again, consistency is key.
Specific feedback: make the thinner stroke in n & h more consistent with the others, somewhat consistent but just need to make the 2 characters more consistent in their strokes.
General feedback: Express the nature of the typeface.
Specific feedback: Somewhat consistent, okay.
As a student, I embarked on a journey to create a font that would be easily readable and consistent in its design. At the outset, achieving readability seemed straightforward, but I soon realised it involved much more than just crafting letters. I began by studying various fonts, understanding what made them easy or difficult to read. This research phase was crucial as I analysed the shapes and forms of different characters, i realised that paying attention to spacing and proportions were important.
Creating a font with consistent characteristics was an uphill task. At first, my attempts resulted in inconsistency, some letters looked different in style or size. It took multiple tries and a lot of patience to ensure each character maintained similar traits. I constantly revised my designs, ensuring the height, width, and style of each letter remained coherent across the entire set.
Throughout the process, I learned that readability wasn't solely about aesthetics, it was also about clarity. I experimented with different strokes and shapes, aiming for a balance between uniqueness and simplicity. It was a gradual process of trial and error, making adjustments based on feedback and continually refining my font. With time and persistence, I started to see improvements. My font gradually evolved into a more cohesive set of characters with consistent features. The spacing between letters became more harmonious, and the overall design began to reflect the research and analysis I had put into understanding readability.
In conclusion, this font-making journey taught me the importance of meticulousness and perseverance in design. It's not just about creating pretty letters; it's about ensuring they are easily recognisable and clear to the reader. This experience has honed my ability to construct a font that not only looks good but also serves its primary purpose, being readable and legible.
Typography Referenced
Rockport Publishers is known for its comprehensive guides and resources on various design topics, including typography.
Rockport's typography reference provides a wealth of information on how letters and characters are designed and used. It covers everything from fonts and typefaces to layout and readability. It helps beginners understand the basics of typography, like the different types of fonts (serif, sans-serif, script, etc.) and how to choose the right font for different design purposes. It also delves into more advanced topics, such as kerning, leading, and typographic hierarchy. The book offers practical tips, examples, and guidelines that designers can use to create visually appealing and readable text in their designs. Overall, it's a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their understanding of typography and enhance their design skills.
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