(TYPOGRAPHY) Task 3: Type Design & Communication

10/6/2024 - 21/6/2024 (Week 8 - 9)
SUNG J XIN/ 0370139/ Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
GCD 60104 TYPOGRAPHY

Task 3: Type Design & Communication

 

Lectures

Refer to Tasks 1 and 2:

Task 1

Task 2

ANALYSING TEXT

We are required to analyse the letters H, o, g, b that are typed out using the 10 provided fonts, and I decided to use the typeface Futura (Medium) for this analysis.

Fig. 1.0, Letter Dissertation

The first thing I noticed is how H is completely symmetrical on all sides. This could be the case for most uppercase letterforms, but with H I think it is the most obvious one.

The shape of o is also very symmetrical since it is a circular shape and circles don't have any sides that can make it unsymmetrical. The hole in o is not a perfect circle, but an oval. This could be easily overlooked if I had not dissected the letter. The median of o is aligned with the top of the bowl of g.

g is a very complicated letter to dissect due to its many sides and curves. It is not a symmetrical letter as proven by the dissection. The tail is not aligned with the bowl at the top as it is slightly off-set towards the inside. The circular parts of the g are also in more of an oval shape, but of different sizes.

The width of b is equal to the width of H. The bowl of b is at the same median as o on top and at the bottom. The inside of the bowl is in an oval shape.

Instructions

Fig. 1.1, MIB

Process Work

I started by using the 3 pens I have to sketch out some font ideas. I made use of all sides on each pen from the tip to the thickest side of the nib. I also applied different levels of pressure on each pen to achieve different results.

Fig. 1.2, Font Sketches (18/6/2024)

I decided to choose 3b as the font I want to focus on, so I went ahead and sketched out the rest of the letters.

Fig. 1.3, Chosen Font Final Sketch (20/6/2024)

I used the sketch as a reference to draw out the ascender height, x-height, baseline and descender line in FontLab.

Fig. 1.4, Initial Ascender, Descender, x-height and Baseline (2/7/2024)

Ascender: 236 px

x-height: 109 px

Cap Height: 236 px

Descender: 80 px

I began constructing the letters using basic shapes. I used the letter o as a reference to how I want the rest of the letters to look like in terms of shape.

Fig. 1.5, Initial Construction (2/7/2024)

Once I was satisfied with the letter o, I constructed the rest of the letters using the same method.

Fig. 1.6, Construction Shapes Skeleton (2/7/2024)

Fig. 1.7, Construction Shapes (2/7/2024)

I used the shape builder tool and merged all the shaped together because I wanted to give some curvature to some parts of the font. I was finally done with making a font before moving on to FontLab.

Fig. 1.8, Complete Font Variant (2/7/2024)

I made another variant of the original font but I decided I liked the first variant better.

Fig. 1.9, Alternate Font Variant (2/7/2024)

I worked on each letter and played around with the kerning between two letters to see how they would connect with each other. 

Fig. 2.0, Process Work (9/7/2024)

I even considered changing the shape of the letter t since it looked like it would cause a collision with the letter behind it. Ultimately I decided not to go through with it since it would look out of place among the other letters and it would lose the consistency I wanted.

Fig. 2.1, More Process Work (9/7/2024)

I settled on these adjustments for my font. It's not perfect, but this is what I'll have to go for with a font style like this.

Fig. 2.2, Side-bearings in Fontlab (9/7/2024)

I downloaded the font and went back to Illustrator to play around with different words and layouts using only the available letters and symbols. Mr Vinod said we don't need to make poster with words that make sense so we were free to do what we want with the poster using the fonts we created.

Fig. 2.3, Various Poster Ideas and Layouts (16/7/2024)

Final Design

Download Font: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m8vbyiROtLYgGX9cAAf7DisCyvKXFRCC?usp=sharing

Fig. 2.4, Fontlab Screenshot with side-bearings (16/7/2024)

Fig. 2.5, Final Type Construction - Cybertone JPEG (16/7/2024)

Fig. 2.6, Final Type Construction - Cybertone PDF (16/7/2024)

Fig. 2.7, A4 BW Poster JPEG (21/7/2024)

Fig. 2.8, A4 BW Poster PDF (21/7/2024)

Feedback

Week 8: (Independent Learning Week)

Week 9: 

The fonts are fine. Just need to pick one to focus on and digitise.

Make sure the proportions of the font is consistent within each letter.

Maintain that consistency in the shape while still showing parts of the original design.

Week 10:

Make sure the proportions of the font is consistent within each letter.

Maintain that consistency in the shape while still showing parts of the original design.

Week 11:

The letter t should be shorter than the letters d and h.

Overall letterform is basically complete so just make any modifications before moving on to FontLab.

Week 12: 

No Feedback.

Week 13: 

Fix some of the x-heights of some letters as they don't match with the x-height with some of the other letters.

Distance between each letter should also be adjusted.

Week 14: (Submission)

Reflections

Experience

I found this final task to be very fun and rewarding since we get to design our own fonts. We start off by using different types of marker pens to sketch out whatever font we have in mind, and then we move on to Illustrator to bring those fonts to life.

Observations

While creating my own font, I noticed that not every letter is always on the same height, even though it looked like they should be. Such as the lowercase letters t and h, where t is actually shorter than h, when it feels like it should be as tall as h.

Findings

After I finished making my font, I have a better understanding on how fonts are made, and why it's actually difficult to make one because of all the small adjustments that needs to be done to make sure each letter is being typed out correctly and not colliding with the letter beside it, based on my own findings.

Further Readings

Fig 3.0, Computer Typography Basics

• Serif fonts come in 3 sub-categories; Oldstyle, Modern and Square Serif.
• Oldstyle fonts are based on classical Roman inscriptions and they are very open, wide and round with pointed serifs and a pleasing contrast between the heavy and light strokes.
• Modern fonts are based on fonts designed over 200 years ago, and they have a greater distinction between the light/heavy strokes and thin/squared off serifs.
• Square Serif fonts have a contemporary style and they have square serifs and mostly uniform strokes with little contrast.

• Sans serif fonts don't have serifs and have an overall even stroke weight which creates little contrast for the letters .
• They can evoke a more modern look for a report, but they can be harder to read than Serif fonts.

• Hyphens are usually used to only divide words or numbers, but they are also used to break words from one line to the next. 
• Directionary Hyphens (also called dishies) disappear when they are not needed.