Typography Task 3 Type Design and Communication
TYPOGRAPHY | TASK 3 Type Design and Communication
Table of Contents
I. INSTRUCTIONS
II. FEEDBACK
III. REFLECTIONS
IV. FURTHER READINGS
I. INSTRUCTIONS
Task 3
This is a learning exercise to determine the outline of the letter as we are trying to make font creation in this exercise. With the vertical lines and circles, we’re able to cover the straight and curved lines of the letter ‘m’ showing how the weight and thickness of the m’s lines. This is crucial in the next process when doing sketches on graphic paper.
RESEARCH :
Before creating the sketches, I went onto Pinterest to research some font ideas. In this task, we were required to create either Sans Serif or Calligraphy font typefaces. I loved the thickness in typography so I went on to create more sketches of fonts with heavier weight.
SKETCHES
In order for us to create fonts, we were tasked to show our sketches of nine font typefaces done in both capital and lower letter cases. We were asked to select one serif and one san-serif font to study its structure and form.
Starting with the letters “ BOGH”, I went on to create numerous sketches.
This is a sketch where most of my fonts were mostly accepted. Mr. Max left me the decision to decide on which I’ll be moving forward with. I chose the capitalized typeface where half of the upper body of the lettering is pushed a bit further.
The sketches below are rejected as it doesn’t follow the guidelines and aspects of this task :
Reason: Accepted if the element of twirls is more constant in the calligraphy typefaces
After the initial stage, I went on to create the other letters for this exercise. With “ODLENHGSTIC” and punctuational figures, this is the revised sketch with feedback from Mr. Max written in pencil. I was allowed to move to the Illustrator stage.
PROCESS :
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
In Illustrator, we were given a demo of how to construct the fonts. This digitization progress includes understanding the terminologies of cap size, x-height, ascender, and descender as it is all used in this exercise.
It's important to keep track of the spaces used for each letter. Hence, using a grid and smart guides to help me pay attention to the details of the letters makes it more accurate and thoughtful. I even put some markers of numbers to remember the spacings for each letter shown in the figure below as well as a rectangle with a width of 2 squares to make sure all the letters have consistency.
FONTLAB
Before copy-pasting into the FontLab, all letters have expanded appearance and are grouped together using shape builder. After copy-pasting from Illustrator, this is what my FontLab looks like.
I did not need to remove any anchor points. All I needed to do was fix the sidebearings and kernings. For kerning and side bearings, Mr. Max provided us with a side-bearing measurements chart that helps us set the kerning more easily. Here is what I adjusted and applied through the following teachings.
FINAL RESULT
Typeface measurements:
Ascender: 750pt
x-height: 500pt
cap height: 863pt
descender: -250pt
Download font "Bebas Sans" here
II. FEEDBACK
WEEK 9 : Mr. Max briefed details about task 3 where he explained the rules of the ascender, descender, capital size, baseline, and the exercise of the Letter “M"
WEEK 10 : I provided Mr. Max some of my sketches. He approved of my calligraphy sketches but I preferred something else which led me to make more sketches which he finally approved too. He commented that I need to understand and explore more elements within typography building.
WEEK 11 : I showed my digitization of my Illustrator progress. Mr. Max helped my comma improve the straightness and roundness of my typeface. After showing the finalized revision, the fonts can be used in fontlab.
WEEK 12 : Mr. Max helped with adjusting the sizes in my FontLab due to my FontLab errors in the previous week. I also showed him the metrics measurements and finished creating the poster within the class period.
III. REFLECTION
Experience
I enjoyed completing this task as designing typography seems like rewarding and important experience for the upcoming designers. I learned what was my style and how to approach it through different mediums from sketching in paper with different markers to allowing the use of Illsutrator platform to help me digitize it.
Observations
When I started making the typeface digital, I paid close attention to small things like the circular rounded shapes inside the letters and the direction of the serifs to keep them consistent.
Findings
Creating a typeface takes a lot of time and attention to detail. It's important to make sure all the letters look good together and have a similar basic shape. This version uses shorter sentences, simpler words, and avoids jargon. It focuses on the key takeaways of the experience.
IV. FURTHER READINGS
DIGITAL FONTS by Thames & Hudson
Key Teachings:
Basic Shapes: The authors stress that every letterform, regardless of its complexity, originates from simple geometric shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. Understanding these underlying forms helps in achieving clarity and consistency within a typeface.
Strokes and Serifs: The book explores the various types of strokes (thick, thin, tapered) and serifs (bracketed, slab, hairline), discussing their visual impact and historical context.
Counterforms and Apertures: The negative spaces within a letterform (counterforms) and the openings between letters (apertures) are analyzed. These elements significantly influence readability and overall visual harmony.
X-Height and Ascenders/Descenders: The authors explain the importance of consistent proportions in letterforms, focusing on the x-height (the height of lowercase letters) and the relationship between ascenders and descenders.
Summary:
By understanding these fundamental building blocks, typeface designers can create letterforms that are not only visually appealing but also functional and legible. The section emphasizes the importance of careful observation and analysis of existing typefaces to grasp these principles effectively.
Comments
Post a Comment