11/11/2024--29/12/2024 (W8 - W12)
LIU YITONG (0370907)
Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 3 Type Exploration & Application
TABLE OF CONTENT
Task 3 Type Exploration & Application
Focus Areas
Design a new font (.ttf) or Improve an existing typeface or Create an
experimental, novel output.
Research
Study the field, identify issues or improvement areas.
Execution
Design the font and showcase applications.
1. Proposal
We were instructed to present a proposal consisting of our ideas related to
the topic.
Task 3 proposal ( week 8 )
2. Digitization
I was torn between the idea1 and the 3 for a long time, but couldn't decide.
So I started digitizing both fonts at the same time.
Fig.2.0 Idea 3 digital experiment ( week 9 )
In the attempt of idea 1, I found that this kind of square and clean font is
what I want, so I began to improve the font in my idea 1.
Fig.2.1 Idea 1 digital experiment ( week 9 )
Fig.2.2 Idea 1 digitization ( week 9 )
Fig.2.3 Process work of digitising lowercase letters ( Week 10 )
Fig.2.4 Process work of digitising punctuation ( Week 10 )
Final Font Design
Final Font Design, Week 11
3. Developing final font in Fontlab
I imported all the letterforms from Illustrator into FontLab 8.
Fig.2.5 Importing letterforms into Fontlab8 ( Week 11 )
After that, I referenced the ICONS given by Mr. Vinod. Adjusted kerning and
letter spacing for all fonts, numbers, and punctuation marks.
Fig.2.6 Process of kerning for uppercase ( Week 12 )
Fig.2.7 Process of kerning for lowercase ( Week 12 )
Fig.2.8 Process of kerning for numbers ( Week 12 )
Fig.2.9 Process of kerning for punctuations ( Week 12 )
First of all, I looked for the color palette I wanted on colour hunt and found
some references on the Internet.
Fig.3.1 ( Left ) References ( Right ) Colour palette ( Week 12 )
Fig.3.2 Attempt #1 ( Week 12 )
Fig.3.3 Use gradient ( Week 12 )
But I think there's still something wrong, so I'm going to make one that just puts in a single letter.I used the gradient tool to make it look less monotonous.
Fig.3.4 Layout attempt ( Week 12 )
Fig.3.5 Attempt #2 ( Week 12 )
Final Font Presentation artworks
Font Presentation 1 ( Week 12 )
Font Presentation 2 ( Week 12 )
Font Presentation 3 ( Week 12 )
Font Presentation 4 ( Week 12 )
Font Presentation 5 ( Week 12 )
5. Font Application
As for the font application, since the font I created is based on a game, I
want to try to use the font for this game theme concert/music festival. So I
chose some items related to the festival, such as vinyl records, signs,
canvas bags and others.
Fig.3.6 Model required element ( Week 12 )
#1 Outside signage
For signage, I created the poster in illustrator and then imported it into
Photoshop for the next step.
Fig.3.7 Apply the poster into mock up ( Week 13 )
#2 Fans
In many music festivals, there are small fans given away, so I chose a fan
model to make.
Fig.3.8 Apply the design into mock up ( Week 13 )
For the hat design, I chose to just put in simple fonts and then use one of
the theme color schemes.
Fig.3.9 Apply the design into mock up ( Week 13 )
#4 Tote bag
Handbag I decided to use my poster in Font Presentation to make a tile on
it.
Fig.3.10 Apply the design into mock up ( Week 13 )
#5 Vinyl records
I designed a simple cover for the vinyl model I found.
Fig.3.11 Apply the design into mock up ( Week 13 )
Finally, I imported them into illustrator to make sure they were all the
required 1024px by 1024px sizes.
Fig.3.12 Final view ( Week 13 )
Final Font Applications
Font Application 1 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 2 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 3 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 4 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 5 ( Week 13 )
Task 3 Final Outcome
Final Font Design
Click here to download
Bus
Finalized letterforms (PDF) ( Week 13 )
FontLab screen grab
Kerning for uppercase ( Week 13 )
Kerning for lowercase ( Week 13 )
Kerning for numbers ( Week 13 )
Kerning for punctuations ( Week 13 )
Font Tester
Final Font Presentation artworks
Font Presentation 1 ( Week 13 )
Font Presentation 2 ( Week 13 )
Font Presentation 3 ( Week 13 )
Font Presentation 4 ( Week 13 )
Font Presentation 5 ( Week 13 )
Final Font Presentation ( PDF ) ( Week 13 )
Final Font Applications
Font Application 1 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 2 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 3 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 4 ( Week 13 )
Font Application 5 ( Week 13 )
Final Font Application ( Week 13 )
Week 8
Independent learning Week. Completed task2 and prepared a proposal for
task3.
Week 9
General Feedback:During this week's class, Mr. Vinod gave us a
final look at task2 and made some suggestions for our next task3
proposal.
Specific Feedback:The third of the proposals was chosen to expand
on the fonts created by task2, which is feasible.
Week 10
General Feedback: In this week's lesson, Mr. Vinod gave us
advice on the capital letters we did last week so that we could
continue with task3.
Specific Feedback:Overall very good, very clean. But the size
of the letter is a bit small, it should be 1000pt at the time of
submission. Use the scale tool to scale the size of the letter
equally.
Week 11
General Feedback: In this week's class, we continue to
make and improve our font design. With Mr. Vinod's permission, we can
import these fonts into FontLab7 for editing. The Settings that need
to be noted are in Teams.
Specific Feedback:The font design is good, engraved in FontLab
for the next import.
Week 12
Public holiday no feedback.
Week 13
General Feedback: During this week's lesson, we've perfected our Font Presentation and Font Applications, and when we're done, we're ready to submit task 3.
Specific Feedback: Everything is good, so it can be submitted.
Week 14
Public holiday no feedback.
Experience
In this task, I focused on creating a concise and structured font,
inspired by the "Limbus Company" font. Initially, my goal was to
reflect the industrial and blocky style of the game. My design process
began by studying the unique features of the original font, such as
sharp edges and even geometric proportions, to ensure that my design
stayed true to the style of the title font for this game. I designed
each letter manually for consistency, which involved a lot of trial
and error. Balancing creativity and functionality was challenging
because I needed the font to look neat and at the same time fit into a
variety of applications. Along the way, feedback highlighted some
spacing and formal inconsistencies that I tweaked to improve
readability.
Observations
Throughout the project, I noticed that the typeface's industrial style
and flat blocky style made it visually striking, but needed to be
carefully refined to ensure legibility, and I experienced many struggles
and moments during this process. Designing lowercase letters while
retaining the bold style of uppercase fonts is particularly tricky, as
it requires creative solutions to maintain harmony. Especially when
designing lowercase letters that don't fit my style, such as f, j. But
luckily it all worked out in the end.
Findings
This project taught me how important it is to deeply analyze the
characteristics of an existing font before attempting to recreate or
adapt it. The combination of design features and readability was a
challenge for me. This process emphasizes the importance of testing,
feedback, and improvement, especially when designing for practical use.
I learned that the effectiveness of fonts comes both from designing
individual letters and from making them consistent.
FURTHER READING
Fig.5.1 Typography Referenced by Jason Tselentis, Allan Haley, Richard
Poulin, Tony Seddon, Gerry Leonidas, Ina Saltz, Kathryn Henderson, Tyler
Alterman
Type Classifi cation and Identifi cation By Allan Haley (Pg
53)
Most typefaces can be grouped into three primary categories:
· Serif (with feet and tails).
· Sans Serif (without serifs).
· Script (resembling cursive handwriting).
While broader classification systems with over 100 categories exist, such
systems can become overly complex. A balanced approach introduces 15 type
style groups organized chronologically by their historical appearance,
serving as the foundation for most larger systems by breaking them into
manageable subdivisions.
Fig.5.2 15 type style groups
Sans Serif Grotesque
Early sans serif typefaces, known as Grotesques, feature noticeable stroke
contrast, slightly squared curves, and a double-bowl lowercase "g." Other
traits include a curled leg on the "R" and a spur on the "G."
Modern sans serif typefaces, influenced by Grotesques, are more refined,
with less stroke contrast and smoother, rounded curves. They often include a
single-bowl "g" and exhibit more uniform weight stress.
Fig.5.3 Sans Serif Grotesque
Sans Serif Humanist
Typefaces based on Roman inscriptional letters feature noticeable stroke
contrast and are considered highly legible due to their character design. They
closely resemble serif typefaces in proportions and design characteristics.
Many of these typefaces also show a strong calligraphic influence, making them
both readable and visually appealing.
Fig.5.4 Sans Serif Humanist
Sans Serif Geometric
Simple geometric shapes heavily infl uence the construction of these
typefaces. Strokes appear like strict monolines, and seemingly perfect
geometric forms make up the character shapes. Geometric sans tend to be
less readable (330) than Grotesques (60)
Fig.5.5 Sans Serif Geometric
These designs, generally based on Grotesque (60) character traits and
proportions, have a defi nite and at times dramatic squaring of normally
curved strokes. They usually have more latitude in character spacing than
their sans serif cousins, and tend to be limited to display designs.
Fig.5.6 Sans Serif Square
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