As this will be the first time I properly design a functional typeface I found it necessary to look more into the key steps to take when designing a typeface.
1. Fundamental choices
The first step which occurred from many sources was making a fundamental choice of what kind of typeface it will be. Whether it will be a serif or sans-serif typeface? will it be based on a writing implement or be more geometric? will it be a text face, comfortable at small sizes and suitable for long documents, or will it be a display face with an imaginative style, that works better a larger size? These are all important aspects I need to decide and from research so far I think it has determined clearly what kind of typeface it will be.
2. Control characters
Designing certain characters first can help set the style of the typeface and bring the other characters into harmony. These are often called 'control characters'. In a lowercase Latin typeface they would be the 'n' and o, and in the uppercase, 'H' and 'O' are often used.
3. Choosing software
For drawing individual letterforms and experimenting, illustrator is fine but once you feel the initial sketch is done. It is recommended to switch to the industry standard softwares such as FontLab Studio or Glyphs and Robofont.
4. Study other typefaces
To create a credible typeface, I need to study other good examples. Looking at them in a critical way, from a contextual or historical perspective, will help me understand why certain design choices in these and your own typeface have a particular effect.
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