Advanced Typography - Task 3: Type Exploration and Application
09/11/2022-23/11/2022 (Week 10-Week13)
Brigita Maria/0352958
Advanced Typography/ Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Advanced Typography Task 3 - Type Exploration and Application
LECTURES
Links to the lectures
INSTRUCTION
TASK 3A : Type Exploration
On this last task, we were given a brief to explore type. What
do you mean by exploring type? Basically we use our knowledge from
this module or books that we have read for this final task.
We were given 3 options on what to do:
Create a font that is intended to solve a larger problem or meant
to be part of a solution in the area of your interest be it
graphic design, animation, new media or entertainment design or
any other related area not necessarily reflecting your
specialization.
End result: a complete typeface generated (.ttf) + applications.
or
Explore the use of typeface in your area of interest, understand
its existing relationship, identify areas that could be improved
upon, explore possible solutions or combinations that may add
value to the existing typeface. End result: a complete typeface
generated (.ttf) + applications.
or
Experiment. For your idea to qualify as an experiment it must be
novel and unique — working with material that might be 3-
dimensional, digitally augmented, edible, unusual, typographic
music video or fine art. End result: defined by student.
So from that brief we all can start to do the work.
EXPLORATION
At first, I was exploring through Pinterest by searching typeface or unique typeface. I gather some unique pins and ideas and save it on my board. Click here to my pin board!
Here are some ideas/pins that I found very interesting.
Figure 1.1 Rock Fonts
Figure 1.2 Pixel Fonts
Figure 1.3 Bread Fonts
Figure 1.4 Clip Fonts
Figure 1.5 Honey Fonts
Figure 1.6 Blobby Fonts
Figure 1.7 Flower Fonts
Figure 1.8 Dots Fonts
Figure 1.9 Meat Fonts
.jpg)
Figure 1.10 Lego Fonts
IDEAS/PROPOSAL
I found several inspiration that I wanted to work on. The
first idea is to make a full typeface set of a font that
was in a poster. Specifically the Archigram exhibition's poster. They designed a typeface based both on original Archigram's drawings and designs of Armin Hofmann from the sixties. Using circles as the base shape of the letter forms.
Figure 1.11 Archigram Posters
Figure 1.12 Type sample 1
Figure 1.13 Type sample 2
Figure 1.14 Another Poster
They use 4 by 4 circles that is shaped into a square... The back story of this design on typeface is based on Armin Hofmann's design. He was a Swiss graphic designer. I saw an article that talks about the design. "the wrapping path sometimes goes through ex-tangent line,
sometimes goes through in-tangent line."
Figure 1.15 One of Armin Hofmann's design
Figure 1.16 The book that it was originally from
The function that I can apply is to Posters or the next Archigram's event poster.
The second idea, using flowers, flower petals as the base shape of the letter form. It is similar with the previous task, where we use the object that are in photos that we took. I was inspired by a Berlin graphic and digital designer Carmen Nacher specializes in experimental type design. she looked back at her old photographs, which resulted in a series of typographic posters.
Figure 1.17 Flower Font by Carmen Nacher
Figure 1.18 Poster of the flower fonts by Carmen Nacher
The third idea was to recreate Lego looking font. So use lego as the basic shape of the letterforms. The block with stubs shape to create letters. But I know it is kind of overused and we've seen many different kinds of Lego fonts on the internet. But I realize that none of the font that's available in the market is a complete set of typeface. Either they have the capital letters only or the lowercase only.
Figure 1.19 Lego alphabets and number
Figure 1.20 A lego poster with lego letters
.jpg)
Figure 1.21 Another Lego letters
I wanted to make a Lego typeface that, without using colors we can clearly
see the Lego aspect to it.
The future application of this idea would be for the company's marketing
strategies, either Lego merchandises, posters, etc.
After receiving feedbacks from Mr.Vinod, I did a more in-depth research on
the suggestions that he made.
Figure 1.22 Highway LED sign somewhere in China, Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.23 Warning LED sign , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.24 Highway LED warning sign , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.25 Warning LED sign , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
For the LED signage, he also gave ideas that I can make symbols or icons
of some sort that is new, to help the signage to convey the warnings or
message more interesting.
I also tried to find Toshi Omagari's work and found his book and articles that carries information about his work.
Figure 1.26 , Toshi Omagari giving introduction to gaming type , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.27 Pac-Man type , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.28 Dance-dance Revolution type , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 1.29 Diamond Run type, Week 10 (09/11/2022)
DECISIONS-DECISIONS
So after thinking and researching, I decided to do the second idea!
Figure 2.1 Flowers , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 2.2 Flowers 2 , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
There are lots of shapes of flowers that exist on earth. From roses, to
baby breathe, it carries a very different shape and texture. After
examining the shapes that is possible to make and can be an elegant font.
I chose Peony as my flower.
Figure 2.3 Peony Photograph , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
Figure 2.4 Peony Poster , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
SKETCHES
For the sketches stage, I drew peony flowers as a reference, to get the
whole idea of the shape of the flower petals. How I can describe and get
from the shape of the flower is it is wide, a rounder petals, has a slight
waves to the edges.
Figure 2.5 Sketches 1 , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
From that simple analysis and observation, I proceeded to the rest of the
letterforms.
Figure 2.6 Sketches 2 , Week 10 (09/11/2022)
After done the basic sketching on the uppercases and lowercases, I proceeded
to the digitation process. Referencing my sketches and edit it makes it a bit
easier and faster.
Figure 3.1 Digitation Close up, Week 11 (16/11/2022)
Figure 3.2 Tracing the sketches in Illustrator , Week 11 (16/11/2022)
Here are the uppercases that I made, before considering the height and width
of the letters. It is just more me to get the overall idea on the shape of the
alphabets before going any further.
Figure 3.3 Uppercase letters, Week 11 (16/11/2022)
I did get some feedbacks from Mr.Vinod. To fix several minor things that can
be improved and changed, like the B, D, F, G, H, etc.
Figure 3.4 Revision and improvements, Week 11 (16/11/2022)
Lastly the symbols and punctuation.
Then After viewing all the letters overall, I feel like the uppercase and
lowercase seem to have a different weight to it. So I decided to change
the shape, to make the whole typeface is balanced out.
Figure 3.8 Adjustments , Week 11 (16/11/2022)
Figure 3.9 Close Up , Week 11 (16/11/2022)
GENERATING FONT
Figure 4.1 Making individual artboard for exporting , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 4.2 Making individual artboard for exporting 2 , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 4.3 Importing SVG into FontForge , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 4.4 Full set in Font Forge , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 4.5 Kerning one-by-one , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
TRY THE FONT!
TASK 3B: TYPE APPLICATION
The whole font that is created will be used for any flower shop or
florists. An imaginary florist called " Peony House", they haver flower bouquets, magazines that comprised of different types of flowers record, and also perfumes that are made from flowers.
Figure 5.1 Poster JPEG, Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 5.2 Flower Greeting Card JPEG, Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 5.3 Flower Greeting Card 2 JPEG , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 5.4 Magazine about Flowers JPEG , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 5.5 Florists Branding , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
Figure 5.6 Flower Perfume , Week 13 (23/11/2022)
FEEDBACK
Week 12: General Feedback: Should have started in the application Specific Feedback: A little problem in the comma, make it a little bit thicker and longer. For the application, can make social media poster, find quotes and fill in the paper bags of flowers. Can make patterns for the wrapping paper Can make signage for flower shop or digital billboard/poster.
Week 11: General Feedback: We should have at least made the complete set so can proceed to inserting it to the Fontlab Specific Feedback: Overall its good, the only problem is how the capital letterforms and the lowercase did not feel like it belongs in the same typeface. Change the thickness of the lowercase. arrage the x-height and the sizing.
Week 10: General Feedback: Think about your purpose or goal , why do you want to make the typeface Specific Feedback: The A,B,C,...G shapes are not consistent if compared to the latter letters M,N,O,S,T are more like one typeface. Change some of the shape to make it more like a whole package of typeface.
Week 9: General Feedback Specific Feedback For the colaterral post (IG post), the eye illustration can be changed The ideas are good, can elaborate idea 1 into a new idea which is led lights that you see in highways(letters), lego fonts have been done too much already, maybe can do a pixel fonts and add twist to it (suggestion)
Week 8 (ILW)
REFLECTION
Experience
This last task, I think is the most time consuming and brain squeezing part compared to the last 2 tasks. I am very happy with the result ( although maybe I can improve it more and create a legit full set typeface). I know that the first try it can't be perfect and 100% done, it needs process. I did struggle with the initial ideation as alot of things came to mind, but I did not consider the goal and what is the problem that the typeface that I choose will solve. So the ideas pilled up and confuses my direction for a moment. I wanted to make crazy ideas but also concerned about the time constraint and the well-being of my score.
Observations
After seeing all the ideas and inspiration from internet. I saw lots of crazy ideas and typeface that people had made. I saw how people can use everyday objects and things to create shapes that resembles all the alphabets and the numbers. By using the everyday objects the designer sort of bring out familiarity from different world into one design/piece. I think it is very interesting and unique
Findings
It is not as simple as it looks. I am very shocked after finding out that people can create a typeface for decades! How a simple design that you see inside a letterform were created after many-many years of renditions, discussions, researches! Especially after the talk "Go,Go,Glyphs", I found out that cultures also give an impact towards the design of typefaces.
FURTHER READING
Figure 6.1 The Complete Manual of Typography by James Felici
Figure 6.2 What is Font?
A font contains all the information needed to position and image the characters that it represents. How a computer operating system and an application
program team up to use this information is covered in detail in Chapter 7.
Here we’re just concerned with what’s inside a font and what it means to you
as you set type.
The most important constituents of a font are the character outlines
themselves. The entire collection of characters in a font is called its character
set. For most alphanumeric fonts (that is, the ones used for text containing letters and numerals), character sets are standardized to a degree. Nearly all of
these fonts share a basic set of characters, although they may contain optional
extra characters as well. Figure 4.2 shows the core character set of a standard
text font as well as some common variants used by various font vendors. Fonts
based on Unicode (see the section on OpenType fonts on page 55) may contain
additional characters beyond these basic collections.
The character outlines in a font are size independent. Inside each font a
width table lists the horizontal space allotted to each character, as measured
in fractions of an em. Computer programs use these widths to calculate how
to fill lines with type, adding up the cumulative widths of the characters on a
line until the line is filled.
A font may also contain tables for the widths of other members in its family.
This is typically the case for the “regular,” or roman text-weight, member of a
family. These tables enable a computer program to compose type for all four
members of a family—regular, italic, bold, and bold italic—using only the
regular font. The computer’s operating system, using the widths of the other
family members, can synthesize false italics, bolds, and bold italics for onscreen
display, relying on width tables in the regular font for getting the spacing and
positioning right. The typesetting program, which relies only on the character
widths, follows suit and can make appropriate decisions about how much text
will fit on a line and how lines should be broken. When it comes time to print,
all the necessary fonts will have to be present, as their outlines will be needed
to image the type (see Figure 6.3). But to simply compose the type onscreen,
only the regular-weight font is needed. The relationship between application
and operating system is detailed in Chapter 7.
A font also contains a kerning table, which lists specific letter pairs and how
the typesetting program should adjust the spacing between them. Kerning
adjustments are also expressed in fractions of an em, which enables them to
function at any point size.