It’s a matter of exploring different ways – is your typeface mimicking natural handwriting, is it more vector based?įor Terrance and Fernando (as seen below) this step takes place by making notes accompanied by rough drawings in a sketchbook. Others prefer to draw digitally using a Wacom tablet, and some like to work directly in font-design software. Many type designers use the traditional toolset of pen (or brush), ink and paper for this step. Terrance says it’s about capturing the idea as fast as possible. This is where a typeface takes its most basic form – essentially, where you create a prototype. We have more opportunities to show typeface details, as well as increased sophistication with hierarchy and readability,” says Terrance.įor more on designing a typeface for digital devices, check out what Monotype’s Nadine Chahine has to say on using typography on the web, your phone and on your wrist in our video interview, and Bruno Maag on creating Nokia’s Pure – a typeface for the whole world Step 2a: Drawing and Calligraphy It’s no secret high-quality screens on phones, tablets and laptops along with web fonts have completely changed the typographic landscape for screens. I’m always looking for an opportunity to make Display and Text variants, so that the Text version can be relieved of some specific branded detail, and the Display style could be crazier. “Many details can disappear when using something like 12px text. It’s always a balance of form and function, but high-res screens – on phones, tablets, monitors, TVs and more - have allowed type designers a little more creative detail. Designing a typeface for digital environments But, that’s why we see so many low-contrast sans and slab serif designs - they survive quite well in a variety of demands,” he says. In many cases, fonts need to work for headlines and text, on screen and print. “In our world today, we demand fonts to be more versatile that they were in their first few hundred years of existence. Terrance says the more specific the use-case the more you can tune the typeface – usually size and media make the most impact. “A chosen brief must also at this early stage define the purpose of the typeface and the structure needed: is it going to be a font for texts or headlines? Is it going to be intended for printed media, screens, or mobile devices? How many weights would be needed? Is there a need to design characters for other languages on top of the Latin? All of these questions need to be answered before we start creating anything.”įuthermore, he suggests creating a mood board that allows you to sketch by hand first and exercise ideas for the character and features of the font. Glyphs are essentially all available characters in a font – from letters to numbers and special characters.įernando says before designing anything, it’s important to research what’s available in the market to ensure relevance and value that your work will have. If creating a typeface beyond personal use, such as a software package, you may be required to use a Glyphs palette. It’s important to know the style you want for your typeface, what different applications it will be used in and who will use it. You’ll learn from Monotype designer and lettering artist Terrance Weinzierl (who we spoke to for Monotype’s Font Marathon), senior Fontsmith designer Fernando Mello, and graphic designer, type designer and calligrapher Seb Lester.Īt the end of this feature there is a brief overview of type terminology and where to go for more information. This step-by-step feature covers what tools and software to use, advice on turning concepts into prototypes and what pitfalls to watch out for.
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While this is primarily a guide on how to design a typeface for those who haven’t done it before – covering the basic steps and things to look out for – there are also handy tips for more experienced type designers. This feature includes advice from type designers at Monotype and Fontsmith for designers wanting to create a typeface for the first time.Īlthough the guide covers tools, software, concepts and pitfalls to look out for, we don’t pretend to cover everything in this complex discipline.
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