Typography - Task 03: Type Design and Communication (Font Design)

06/11/2023 - 27/11/2023 (Week 07 - Week 10)

CHIN TZE WEI / 0357423
Typography / Bachelor (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 03: Type Design and Communication (Font Design)

LIST

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Lectures

1.1 Class Summary

2. Instructions

2.1 Task 03: Type Design and Communication (Font Design)

2.1.1 Research

2.1.2 Analysis / Deconstruction of letters

2.1.3 Exploration

2.1.4 Sketches

2.1.5 Digitisation of letterform

2.1.5.1 First Attempt (Failed)

2.1.5.2 Final Attempt

2.1.6 Developing final font in FontLab

2.1.6.1 xxQsYds

2.1.7 Final Outcome of Type Construction

2.1.7.1 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - JPEG

2.1.7.2 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - PDF

2.1.7.3 Link to download Font

2.2 Poster Design

2.2.1 Research

2.2.2 Sketches

2.2.3 Digitisation of Poster

2.2.4 Final Outcome of Poster

2.2.4.1 Final Poster - JPEG

2.2.4.2 Final Poster - PDF

3. Feedback

4. Reflection

4.1 Experience

4.2 Observation

4.3 Findings

5. Further Reading

1. LECTURES

All lectures are completed in Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2

1.1 Class Summary

Week 08

Update Task 03 Eportfolio.
Update Feedback (if any) for Week 08 in the Google Feedback Sheet
Once the sketch is approved, digitise your work in Adobe Illustration (Watch the tutorial video)
Write all the letters (o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #) in the approved style and digitise

Week 09

Update Task 03 Eportfolio.
Udpate Feedback for Week 09 in the Google Feedback Sheet.
Continue to digitise your work but not before writing all letters (o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #)
Choose writing in uppercase or lowercase (not both), then digitasation.
Don't forget to save the process work digitally. Keep the raw shapes/strokes.

Week 10

Continue to update Task 03 Eportfolio.
Update Feedback for Week 10 in the Google Feedback Sheet.
Continue to refine letters.
Watch the pre-recorded video before designing punctuation.
Watch all the pre-recorded video before start the FontLab progress.

Week 11

Download FontLab 7 and explore. The final has to be done in the full version in the D7.04 Mac Lab.
Watch the pre-recorded videos provided.
1. https://www.youtube.com/live/jSTQ9h-8yAw?si=gSSw6oicg_1W9ik0
2. https://youtu.be/EAWpYm1FyjE
3. https://youtu.be/n9thDparUOU
Adjust side bearings of the letters using the chart provided.
Continue to update Task 03 Eportfolio.
Update feedback for Week 11 in Google Feedback Sheet provided.

Week 12

Update and Complete Task 03 Eportfolio with all necessary documentation.
Final submission should contain:

Link to download font
Screenshot of FontLab process (Side-bearings)
Final Type construction in Adobe Illustrator (JPEG- 1024px, 300ppi, Grayscale)
Final Type construction in Adobe Illustrator (PDF)
Final JPEG A4 Black and White poster
Final PDF A4 Balck and White poster
Font Tester/Preview (Optional)

Check all eportfolio posts using the private browser. Ensure all files and images are visible.
When creating the Black and White A4 poster; ensure that sentence/phrase/words are the same point size/font size; ensure the byline <font's name> <by_your_name>, <2023> is Univers LT Std at 8pts

Week 13

Final Submission Task 03 Eportfolio
Complete Typography Compilation and Reflection, file must submitted as final submissions for task 1, 2, 3 are to be placed in the post and with one final reflection towards the end. Reflection is an overview of all 14 weeks.
Update feedbacks in the Google Feedback Sheet for week 01-week 14.
Submission time: 21 December 2023 (by 11:59p.m.)

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2. INSTRUCTIONS

For Task 03- Type Design and Communication (Font Design), we need to design and create our own font and use this new font to create a simple Black and White A4 poster.

2.1 Task 03: Type Design and Communication (Font Design)

In this task, We are to design a limited number of western alphabets: o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #. We have to choose an existing font design from the 10 typefaces provided that we can refer to or is the closest to our sketches. The chosen typeface is only for analyzing its anatomical parts and will not impact our type design. We must watch the demo videos before starting this task.

During Week 7 (One week before Independant Learning Week), Mr Vinod told us to prepare Task 03 materials, which are graph paper and 3 marker pens (must be 3.0mm above).

Select a preferred font from the 10 fonts provided and

do a detail dissection of the letters H, o, g, b
sketch the letters ODHNG/odhng (explore 3 different writing styles for each of the 3 pens)

Notes / Reminder:

Maximum canvas size: 1000pt

Ideal x-height: 500pt

Height of capital letters: about 700pt

Either uppercase or lowercase only
Use FontLab 7, not 8
Copy and paste your illustrator letter into FontLab
Click Turn OFF round when Editing / Keep
DO NOT CLICK ROUND
FontLab 7 > Preferences > Import original position
Window > New Metrics Tab > Show Text Bar > Show Metrics Table
Poster briefing:
A4 size poster
Black and White only
Font size must be consistent
Type out a sentence using letters that have designed
All letters desgned must be present in the poster
Typeface name, your name, the year
Univers Roman (8 pt.)

What to complete:
Research type design from websites or book references for a better understanding.
Deconstruction of several letterforms of the typeface chosen
Construct several rough sketches for further idea exploration
Digitisation of sketches using Adobe Illustrator
Transfer the digitisation font into Fontlab for kerning and generating the font
Create a final basic black and white poster in A4 size using the font designed
What to submit:
Link to download the font
FontLab 7 (Screengrab of the side-bearing)
Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator (JPEG)
Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator (PDF)
Final JPEG A4 Black and White Poster (1024px / 300ppi / Grayscale)
Final PDF A4 Black and White Poster
Font Tester / Preview (Optional)

2.1.1 Research

1. Anatomy of Typography

To identify the guidelines and visual element that make up the letterforms within a typeface.

Figure 2.1 Anatomy of typography

Furthermore, after watching the pre-recorded video that Mr Vinod told us to watch before starting the task, I also start to do some research and reading on website and also from books that given from Mr Vinod, which is "Computer Typography Basics" by D.Creamer.

Type Classifications
Most typefaces can be classified into some basic groups: those with serifs, those without serifs, scripts and decorative styles.

Figure 2.2 Typeface classifications

(a) SERIF: Old style, Traditional, Neoclassical/Didone, Slab, Clarendon, Glyphic
Serif typefaces are categorized based on contrast, stress angle, and terminals.

(b) SANS SERIF: Grotesque, Humanistic, Geometric, Square

(d) DECORATIVE: Grunge, Psychedelic, Graffiti

Overshoot
Overshoot is the part of a letter that goes beyond the baseline and either the cap height or mean line. It is important for creating an optical illusion with rounded and pointed letters to make them appear the same size as other letters, as they often look slightly smaller due to the extra negative space around them.

Figure 2.3 Overshoot of the letter "d"

Contrast
The difference between thick and thin strokes. High contrast means a bigger difference between thick and thin.

Figure 2.4 Contrast

Angle of Stress
Stress angle determines stroke thickness direction.

Figure 2.5 Angle of stress

2. Pinterest

Before I start up the task, I also has visited some other people's work on Pinterest and I also saved some of the works inside my typo board for studies and reference

Pinterest Board link: https://pin.it/7jidLRv

Figure 2.6 Research on Pinterest

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2.1.2 Analysis / Deconstruction of letters

I choose Bodoni MT, the typeface that I am interested in to conduct the analysis/deconstruction of the letter (H, o, g, b) given by Mr Vinod. This could let me observe detailed changes in the glyphs while deconstructing a letter.

Figure 2.7 Deconstructing letters "H, o, g, b"

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2.1.3 Exploration

During the exploration session, we were asked to buy some material for this task, which are graph paper and 3 marker pens (must be 3.0mm above).

Figure 2.8 Materials for this task

Before I try to conduct the sketches. I try out the angle for these marker pen.

Pens used:

1. 3.0mm Sakura Calligraphy Pen (Black)

2. 3.0mm Artline Decorite (Pastel Purple)

3. 3.0mm Artline Decorite (Pastel Green)

Figure 2.9 Written vertical, horizontal, diagonal, circular strokes using the marker pen I bought

After trying out the angles, I start to write explore the letter Mr Vinod asked us to try out "O D H N G" or "o d h n g", 3 styles for each pen, which totals up to 9 styles. Select one style as the final sketch.

Figure 2.10 Exercise for letters "O D H N G"

These are all of my "try and error" and process in creating my typefaces and aiming to achieve a consistency in all the alphabets. After going through the exercises, I have picked out a few writting style I prefer and can work with.

Figure 2.11 Final 9 outcomes of the exploration

I has choose the second style from the first column of the left hand side (words that was circled on Figure 2.11).

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2.1.4 Sketch

Based on my exploration, Figure 2.11, the writting style is approved by Mr Vinod.

After the feedbacks given, the approved writting style is written with the letters "O L E D S N C H T I G , . ! #" or "o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #" (choose either uppercase or lowercase)

Pen used: 3.0mm Sakura Callography Pen

Figure 2.12 Written letters with appoved writting style

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2.1.5 Digitisation of letterform

I use Adobe Illustrator to construct and digitize out letterform.

Before constructing my typeface into Adobe Ilustrator, I have adjusted the artboard into correct height which is 1000px, and create guideline based on the ideal x-height of 500px and ideal height using the font Myriad Pro Regular.

Figure 2.13 Create guidelines (baseline, ascenders, x-height, descender)

2.1.5.1 First Attempt (Failed)

I have choose a similar typeface provide by Mr Vinod and tried to trace it out and use "curvature tool" and "Pen tool" to change a bit of the shape.

Measurements (From baseline):

Ascenders: 700pt

Capital height: 690pt

X-Height: 500pt

Baseline: 0pt

Baseline overshoot: -10pt

Descender: -200pt

After the construction of the first attempt, I failed.

Figure 2.14 Failed attempt of digitised sketch (First Attempt)

This is because my font looks a little asymmetrical and not consistency. Afterwards, Mr Vinod gave me advices and demonstrate on how to contrust a letters using brush and stroke.

Video 01 Mr Vinod demonstrate on how to construct a perfect letter using brush and stroke.

Figure 2.15 Mr Vinod is teaching

2.1.5.2 Final Attempt

After the feedbacks and demonstation session, I chane the mothod of creating the letters. First, I use "Pen tool" and "Shape tool" to contruct the outline and then change the brush stroke.

Figure 2.16 Failed attempt of digitised

I show this to Mr Vinod and his feedback was, "some of the stroke looks not consistency"
Thus I need to do some adjustment for the letters. I have adjust the thickness of the stroke so the letters can look more consistency to each other.

Figure 2.16 Final attempt of digitised (2nd version)

After all the progress shown above, I finally start up to put the letters inside FontLab, and rename the font name, called xxQsYd - Regular.

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2.1.6 Developing final font in Font Lab

After finnish the final attempt using Adobe Illustrator, I use FontLab to generate the letter.

Reminder from Mr Vinod:

Use Fontlab 7, not 8
Copy and paste your illustrator letter into FontLab

Click Turn Off Round when Editing / Keep
Do NOT click Round

FontLab 7 > Preferences > Import original position
Window > New Metrics Tab > Show Text Bar > Show Metrics Table

2.1.6.1 xxQsYd

This is the progress of the font "xxQsYd" before I refuse to use.

Figure 2.17 Process 01

Before exporting out the font, a guideline of adjusting the side bearings of wach letter is provided by Mr Vinod. I use the side bearing guidelines for uppercase letters.

Figure 2.18 Guideline for side bearing (Uppercase)

I then start to adjust the side bearings and kerning of the letters.

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2.1.7 Final Outcome of letterform

2.1.7.1 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - JPEG

Figure 2.19 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - JPEG

2.1.7.2 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - PDF

Figure 2.20 Final Type Construction in Adobe Illustrator - PDF

2.1.7.3 Link to download Font

Google Drive Link: Download font please click here

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2.2 Poster Design (A4)

For poster design, we should create an A4 poster using the font we have designed. It must be in only black and white, the font should be in same pt size.

2.2.1 Research

Before I start up to create the poster, I also has visited some other people's work on Pinterest and I also saved some of the works inside my typo board for studies and reference.

Pinterest Board link: https://pin.it/7jidLRv

2.2.2 Sketches

I tried to sketch out some sketches before start to digitalize the poster.

Figure 2.33 Poster sketch 01

Figure 2.34 Poster sketch 02

2.2.3 Digitisation of Poster

Before starting up to do the digitalization of the poster, I asked ChatGPT for helping me generate quotes and I also had research for quotes online.

Quotes that shows out:

Ghost echoed in the silent night.
Born sensitive, lonely and happy.
All the questions in the world can be answered in one definite answer.
Do not be blinded by the illusion in front of you but follow the truth inside of it.
We look alike, so let's be together. Just the way you are, like grown-up child.

I then choose #1 and #5 as my sentences for my poster.

Figure 2.36 Final Outcomes of poster

Font size:

CatwithU - 100pt

Univers Roman - 8pt

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2.2.4 Final Outcome of Poster

2.2.4.1 Final Poster - JPEG

Figure 2.37 Final Poster - JPEG

2.2.4.2 Final Poster - PDF

Figure 2.38 Final Poster - PDF

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