TYPOGRAPHY / TASK 3A : Type Design & Communication

on

15.10.2021 - 28.10.2021 (Week 8 - Week 10)
Angelyn Valencia / 0349573
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creativ e Media
Task 3A / Exercises

LECTURES


WEEK 7

This week, Mr. Vinod gave us a new task and told us to watch the lecture video on Task 3: Type Design and Communication for tutorial videos on this particular task.

1. Research on typefaces designs.

2. Sketch it out and find the most similar fonts that are already available from the ten typefaces

3. Deconstruct references

4. Require Fontlab


Figure 1.1 Deconstructed 'r'

The X-Height should be 500 pt. The rounded forms looks smaller, so overshooting the x-height is permissible. Need to refer back to the basics of letterform anatomy for a reminder of the naming.

Figure 1.2 Guidelines
  • Ascender height
  • Capital height
  • Mean/median line
  • Baseline
  • Descender line

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK

Visual Research

We were asked to create our own typeface. The letters that we're going to design are the following:
 a i m e p y t g d o b ! , .
Figure 2.1 Visual Research

I started out by searching for some inspirations through pinterest. I looked for some elegant typefaces as a reference and found some that I really like. I see that the second typeface doesn't use any serif but still managed to make it look elegant by playing with different weights. 

Figure 2.2 Typographic Anatomy

Identification and Deconstruction

Figure 2.3 Deconstructing Reference (ITC New Baskerville Std)

I noticed that the typefaces i found on pinterest are most similar to ITC New Baskerville Std. I then started deconstructing it with basic shapes.

Sketches

Figure 2.4 First Sketch

Then I proceed on sketching out my ideas for the typeface. I knew I wanted to do serif fonts because they play a huge role in portraying elegance. Also, I tried out two thin typefaces to create a simple modern/futuristic typeface. I ended up picking the second sketch, which I later on do some minor changes on the design.

Digitisation
Figure 2.5 Making guidelines

Starting off with my digitisation process, I followed the lecture video to create the guidelines for the typefaces I will be making. I used Myriad Pro as a reference to my guidelines measurement.

Guidelines Measurement:
  • Ascender line: 710 pt
  • Cap line: 673 pt
  • Med line : 500 pt
  • Baseline: 0 pt
  • Descender line: -222 pt

Figure 2.6 Digitisation of letter 'a'

Then I continued on by starting to make the typeface from my one of my sketches and creating the shapes using the pen tool, as well as the shape tool, specifically ellipse. At the end, I selected all the shapes that makes up the letter and use the pathfinder to unite all of them.

Figure 2.7 Final digitisation break down

I continued making the remaining letters and as can be seen in figure 2.7, is the outline of the shapes I used to create each letter. Throughout this process of digitisation, I used a lot of pen tool and ellipse tool. I also tried making the weight of the strokes consistent in every letter because I want to increase the readability from afar.

Figure 2.8 Final digitisation 

Figure 2.9 Final digitisation with guidelines

After Feedback 
  • smooth the 'm' out
  • few minor changes on the '!' (no need serif on the bottom)
  • the dot under the exclamation mark are usually bigger than the stroke above it
  • make it neater
Figure 2.10 Revision (Circled)

Figure 2.11 Revision after feedback

After the feedback, I revised some of the areas that needs to be fixed like smoothing out the 'm' and some other minor things too. But I also decided to not delete the bottom serif on the exclamation mark because it won't match with the other letters, so instead, the top right one. 

Figure 2.12 Second revision

After the first revision, I realized my typeface doesn't look very elegant, So I decided to thin out the thinner strokes more. The letter 'y' also looks a bit odd especially the distribution of stroke weights, so I revised it.

Figure 2.13 Transferring to Fontlab and kerning

Then I copied the fonts I made in Illustrator to Font Lab and did some kerning to make it more neat and readable when it is typed in various words.

Figure 2.14 When Font Lab couldn't export my font and decided to quit on me

Just as i was done and exporting, Font Lab crashed every time I try to export my font, but dw i figured it out it only took me like 2 hours :')

Poster Design

Figure 2.15 Poster design #1 (22/10/21)

In this first design, I decided to make the dot from the exclamation mark as the 'o' in 'obey me!'. Because I just thought the double circles (the dot from the exclamation mark and 'o' from 'obey me') next to each other looks very unsettling. I also see that the letter 'o' has been shown in the previous word which is 'god' so i thought I could play around with the second 'o'. I also retyped the word 'type' and 'god' , as well as two exclamation marks, and set it as the background by lowering the opacity and arranging it in the background. For the font type information, 'Ethereal - Regular', I used Univers LT Std Bold. As for my name and year, I use Univers LT Std Light.

Figure 2.16 Poster design #2 (22/10/21)

In the second design, I decided to retype the word 'god', 'obey', and 'type' and set it as the background by lowering the opacity. I took a similar approach with my previous task in which i arrange the text so it connect vertically and horizontally, as can be seen by how the 'o' and 'e' from the word 'obey' belongs to other words as well. I also thought the adding two exclamation marks would complete the whole design. For the font type information, 'Ethereal - Regular', I also used Univers LT Std Bold. As for my name and year, I use Univers LT Std Light.


Final Submission

Figure 2.17 Final Submission (22/10/21)

 
Figure 2.18 Final Submission in PDF (22/10/21)


Font Link : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V_jhVgjQF6rBONLQ_dALLZ0E9SqR5_AX/view?usp=sharing 


FEEDBACK

General Feedback: Be aware of stroke weight consistency throughout every letter.
Specific Feedback: Mr. Vinod said overall is good and the 'a' is good, just need minor changes. Smooth out the 'm', take away the serif on the exclamation mark.

REFLECTION

Experience: This particular task was quite challenging for me. For me it's hard to create an original typeface, and there's always this constant fear that the font I was making has already exists. So I took longer time to brainstorm than I imagined because I was struggling to make an original typeface. But I have learned so much throughout this topic, not only through lecture tutorial videos, but also the things I find throughout the process of doing this task. Despite the struggles I have faced, I'm glad that I was able to gain more knowledge in this topic, learn from my mistakes as well, because I was not familiar with this topic at all.

Observation: I realized that making type design is wayyy harder than it looks, there's certain rules that has to be followed and stroke weight consistency is very important for readability.

Findings: I find that despite all the struggles I have faced throughout this process, it was actually quite fun to learn something new.

FURTHER READING


Figure 3.1
Willen, B. (2009). Lettering & Type: Creating Letters Designing Typefaces. Princeton Architectural Press, New York


Figure 3.2 Chapter 3 : Creating Letters - Book Type 
  • Creating text type is an arcane craft that is fundamentally bound to perceptions of legibility and readability.
  • Created in actual size. Although working at actual size leaves less room both for error and for delicate detailing, it provides a direct connection to the letters’ end use.
  • As the font sizes grow smaller, a type designer will subtly increase the x-height, letter spacing, and width while exaggerating small details like serifs and aperture size. Contrast generally decreases at small sizes, to maintain the robustness of thin strokes. Even though these adjustments may slightly alter the character of the letterforms, they make letters more legible and readable at small sizes.
  • long ascenders and descenders look elegant and improve the readability of wordshapes, but they inversely affect the x-height and legibility at small sizes. 
Figure 3.3 Chapter 4 : Making letters work - Transforming type 
  • Combining two different typefaces within the same word or the same line is the typographic equivalent of collage. 
  • Designers and typographers use this juxtaposition to create a variety of effects by inserting a rounded lowercase form into a line of hard capital letters. 


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