Fonts are a very important part of modern media and design in the modern world and can easily be designed in a traditional way by hand on paper. However, the font then needs to be turned into something that can be used in both digital and print.
The process of designing typefaces has developed over the years and now exists primarily in a digital format. However it is still an art form that is both complex and time consuming for the individual who is designing the letterforms.
This is because the font needs to work well on many different platforms, such as the computer screen in a digital format and on the printed surface in a physical format.
Font creation has become incredibly popular in recent times and has become more accessible to those who wish to get involved with the creation process. This is thanks to a number of font creation programs which are now available across many desktop computer systems.
What also makes font design particularly difficult is the need to match up every different glyph in an individual typeface with that of every other typeface that is available.
This is where careful consideration needs to come in to the creation process of the font. This involves careful thinking about the spacing of each font when placed next to another font.
As you start to spend more time looking at the way in which fonts are made you begin to realize that it is more than just a collection of beautiful letters. It is also a very carefully organized set of designs that all interact with each other and fit within each other in a precise and accurate way.
When creating fonts it is more important to think about how each font will fit among the other within the whole group rather than how beautiful each letter looks in itself.
Research first
Creating your own fonts can be a lengthy and complicated process and it is a good idea to have a blueprint with which to start from. This may be in the form of another font that you wish to recreate.
As well as this, you may also want to set yourself questions within the brief that you set out to answer. This can include things such as the type of person that will use the font and how it will fit within certain situations within the design of publications.
Many successful font designs use a brief as a starting point and are often designed with specific goals in mind. For instance, there have been fonts which have been designed only for the use in certain publications and in certain ways.
Once you’ve decided on this you may then start to think about how your font will be used and whether it will be better for displays or whether it will be more suited for long reading type situations on a smaller size.
The process of designing a type face starts on paper
Although it may be tempting to jump straight in on the latest font design program, especially if you feel that you are clued up about the more advanced font design processes, it is still a good idea to begin the design by hand with pencil and paper.
Getting a feel for the shapes of the fonts and the way in which one can design them can often work well on paper before one transfers them to a digital space.
The alternative to paper
If you really don’t feel as though papers needed you can also invest in a drawing tablet which can be connected to the computer and can be used to hand draw designs before they are transferred to the digital space.
Drawing programs such as Adobe illustrator can be used to import the image and this can then be exported to other font-based programs such as font lab. You can also effectively transfer the different Brush types in Illustrator and these can be used to create fonts with as well.
Although tablets such as the Wacom model are great for hand drawing font designs, they aren’t really going to completely replace pencils and paper as the best medium for designing things such as fonts.
Tools to create a typeface
There are many different tools that can be used to create a typeface with. One of the most popular drawing programs is that of illustrator, which belongs to the Adobe packages.
This can be great for many different types of designs but there are also programs which are specifically designed to create fonts with and should be used if one is serious about font creation.
The good thing about these fun programs is that they focus on the important parts of font design, such as the spacing between each of the characters and the programming that needs to be down in order to have a well spaced set of letters.
FontStruct
This is a great program for individuals who are just beginning to get interested in full design and want to try something which is easy to access.
This program is great as it runs off the web and does not need to be downloaded. Individuals can create their designs online and then transfer them via a specific font file which can then be installed on a Mac or a Microsoft Windows computer and used in a wide selection of programs.
FontLab Studio
In some ways font lab studio is the go-to font design package for all font designers, whether they be professional or amateur in the field of font design. The program is really good as it can create fonts which can then be exported into a wide range of file formats so that they work on many different platforms and packages.
FontForge
The great thing about fontforge is that it is a free font designing package that works on a wide range of computer platforms. This includes Linux and Mac and Windows and allows the individual the ability to export in several different file formats. This includes TrueType, postscript as well as open type.
Glyphs
Glyphs provides an easy way to design type so they fit well within a word based context. The main function is to help with the design of new fonts and is provided as a tool for the individual.
Type light
Tight light is a freeware font editor that can be used to design new fonts or to modify existing fonts in the selection of different ways. Maybe not the best tool for those that need to design fronts to a professional level, but this is a fun little tool for those who are just getting started.
Font constructor
Fun constructor is a program that is primarily for the mac and allows individuals the abillity to design fonts from scratch. However, it was originally intended as a program to help students learn about the ways in which to design fonts. It can in fact be used by anyone who wishes to learn about font design and has an easy-to-use interface.
Fontographer
Fontographer is a program that focuses on the design of fonts and aims to create an easy interface when using the program. Users are able to easily modify the creations with results that lead to high-quality fonts.
Test your font
Although font design can be fun, it is also still difficult to achieve effectively and can lead to many problems along the design process. This will then lead to errors when fonts are displayed within a typesetting.
One also needs to think about the font file format and needs to analyze the glyphs and certain rules that have been applied, so that they work well within the larger structure. For instance the design of fonts need to have specific coordinates outlined within their curves that stop them from looking strange or sitting out of place within the type field.
Ending thoughts
Font design can be great fun and anyone who is interested in fonts and design in general should give it a go. However, one needs to take into perspective a new way of thinking when designing a font and should try and restrain themselves from doing anything too crazy. Thinking about programming behind the font is almost more important than the graphical display of the font itself.
One way to go about this and to develop the correct font is to look back into the past at some popular fonts that been created and use these as a starting point.
Instead of completely designing a brand new font, the designer is much better off looking at one that has already been done and seeing ways that they can modify that to make it better and more different.
It can also be important to think about the forms within the typeface that will be used most often and to focus on making these as perfect as possible so that when they are used in a real situation they will look great to everyone who sees them.
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