Typography - Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Typography - Task 3: Type Design and Communication
June 21，2023
19/5/2023 - 21/6/2023 / Week 6 - Week 12
Xing Yu / 0361463
Typography / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Task 3A: Type Design and Communication
Task 3A: Type Design and Communication
LECTURES
Lecture notes - task-1-exercise
Week 7 ：Introduction and presentation of Task3
In this week's lesson, we were guided by Mr. Vinod, who showed us how
to build fonts using shapes and strokes and walked us through the
requirements of Task 3.
INSTRUCTION
Task3: Type Design and Communication
We need to create a set of letters and fonts, including the letters: a e
t k g r i y m p n!
#,.
In addition, we have to make an A4 size poster to show the letters we
have designed.
We'll start with hand-drawn sketches and then convert them to digital
form using Adobe Illustrator.
The software we'll be using Adobe Illustrator and FontLab7
1. Research
Fig.1.1 typographic design: form and communication p.40
"Serif"
Serif is an element in font design that is a small horizontal line or
decoration extending from the end of the stroke of a font.
The presence of serifs can enhance the readability and coherence of
letters and give typefaces a sense of elegance and tradition.
Serif fonts are commonly used in text typesetting, printing, and
publications.
Serif typefaces are characterized by the addition of additional
strokes at the ends and intersections of the letters, creating visibly
visible serifs.
The length, thickness, and shape of these serifs can vary from font to
font, and common types of serifs include right-angled serifs, rounded
serifs, and barb serifs.
The serif section of a serif font helps the reader identify the shape
and edge of the letter more easily, especially in the case of small
size and low resolution, serif fonts are more readable.
Fig.1.2 typographic design: form and communication p.40
"Weight"
weight refers to the thickness of a font, which plays an important role
in design and typography.
Within the range of font weight, there can be several different weight
options, from very fine to very thick, to meet a variety of different
design needs.
The choice of weight can have a significant impact on the expression and
perception of words.
Lighter weights are often used to convey a sense of subtlety, elegance,
and sophistication, suitable for titles, taglines, or words that need to
stand out.
Thicker weights have a stronger visual impact and are often used to
emphasize, guide attention or for large-area text layout, such as
posters, slogans, display text, etc.
Fig.1.3 typographic design: form and communication p.41
"Thick/thin contrast"
Font thickness contrast refers to the thickness of the Central Line
of the font and the difference from the surrounding white space.
In font design, reasonable font thickness contrast can improve the
readability and visual appeal of text.
In font design, proper font thickness contrast is very important to
ensure the clarity and legibility of letters.
Overly heavy fonts narrow the white space between letters, making
letter shapes difficult to distinguish and affecting readability.
Conversely, a font that is too small may result in letter shapes
that are not full enough, resulting in blurred or indistinct vision.
Fig.1.4 typographic
design: form and communication p.41 "x-height"
X-height refers to the height of the lowercase letter x, which plays an
important role in typography.
x-height is not only a size parameter in font design, but also closely
related to font readability, visual effect and typography style.
The x-height of a font is crucial to the reading experience and
readability.
The larger x-height makes the letters more legible, especially in small
font size and low resolution.
It is able to provide more space to display the details of the letters,
making the font clearer and easier to read.
Fig.1.5 typographic design: form and communication p.41 "Ascenders/descenders"
ascent refers to the part of the letter (usually a capital letter)
that extends upwards from the base line.
It represents the maximum height of the letter in the vertical
direction and usually includes the upper decorative elements of the
letter (such as a crown or additional marking).
Rising fonts can affect overall vertical proportions and visual
balance.
Conversely, descent is the part of the letter (usually lowercase) that
extends downward from the base line.
It indicates the lowest sinking point of the letter in the vertical
direction and usually includes the tail or subscript of the lower part
of the letter.
Font drops also play an important role in vertical spacing and
alignment between letters.
Reference:
Carter, R., Day, B., Meggs, P. B., Maxa, S., & Sanders, M.
(2015). Typographic design: Form and communication.
Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Carter, R., Day, B., Meggs, P. B., Maxa, S., & Sanders, M.
(2015). Typographic design: Form and communication.
Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2.Sketches
Mr. Vinod asked us to first practice writing these letters on paper money
to prepare for the digital design of the font later.
For each tool, write diagonal, horizontal, vertical, and circular lines
in five different ways, for a total of five tools.
For each tool, AOTMX is written in five different ways, for a total of
five tools.
Select five options from the different options for each tool, then write
the letters "a e t k g r i y m p n" in the selected style.
Figure 2.1 Practice round (Week 7/16/05/2023)
Fig.2.2 Handwriting alphabet exercise22/5/2023)
I designed my first draft, and Mr. Vinod's advice to me was that the
handwriting should not be filled in by drawing or doodling, it must be
done in one stroke.
Digital font pattern elements are too many to look like font
design.
Fig.2.1 Sketches (29/5/2023)
After taking Mr. Vinod's advice, I made changes to my first draft.
Mr. Vinod felt that this was a good design, but that each letter had to
be the same weight.
Fig2.2 The first attempt at sketch (3/6/2023)
I revised my design, and I made the height of the vertical motion
uniform.
Fig.4.1 The process of digitalization (6/6/2023)
Fig.4.2 The final design (6/6/2023)
Measurements (from baseline)
Ascender: 675 pt
Capital height: 650 pt.
Median: 500 pt
Descender: -175 pt
Developing the final font in Font Lab
Once we had digitized the fonts, we needed to bring all the
letters into the font lab to make sure my fonts were actually
usable.
I will copy all the letter illustrations from Adobe and paste them
into Font lab.
Fig.5.1 Copying and pasting the letters into Font
Lab (10/11/2022)
I copied all the letters into the FontLab7 software and adjusted
the kerning separately in the "Indicators" TAB, following the steps of
the example video.
After completing the kerning adjustment, I exported the font and
installed it on my device.
Figure 5.2 Copy and paste letters into FontLab7 (12/06/2023)
Figure 5.3 Letter kerning in the Indicators TAB (11/06/2023)
Final Outcome
Figure.6.1 Final Task 3 "Sword - JPEG (13/6/2023)
Figure.6.2 Final Task 3 "Sword" - JPEG (13/6/2023)
Figure.6.3 Final Task 3 "Sword" - pdf (13/6/2023)
Figure.6.4 -"Sword" Typo Poster A4 - PDF (13/6/2023)
FEEDBACK
He believes that a single finished stroke can show a writer's focus and
skill, sending a clear and confident message.
Keep steady gestures and smooth lines when writing to ensure consistency
and beauty of the glyphs.
Week11: Mr. Vinod felt that it was a good design, but that each vertical
stroke had to be the same weight in order to maintain consistency.
This consistency is crucial because it makes the entire design look more
balanced and unified.
By ensuring that each vertical stroke has the same weight, a visual
harmony can be achieved, and the appearance of the font will be more
balanced and aesthetically pleasing.
REFLECTION
Experience
I have gained some valuable experience in designing fonts using Adobe
Illustrator and Font Lab 7.
First of all, it's important to learn to master Illustrator for adding
anchors, anchor tools, and creating edit shapes.
Getting familiar with these tools helps me to better handle the details
and shapes of the glyphs.
Secondly, I find it very helpful to use as simple geometric shapes as
possible when designing fonts.
Avoiding too many complex details can improve the readability and visual
appeal of the font.
Observations
When looking at different fonts, I noticed that each font has its own
unique characteristics and style.
Factors such as the shape of the font, its thickness, the slant of the
strokes, and the spacing between the characters all have an impact on the
final visual effect.
At the same time, different fonts also have different expressive and
emotional transmission capabilities in different design scenes.
Findings
Using Font Lab 7, I found that the software provides a wealth of
tools and features to facilitate my font design and editing.
One of the things I was most impressed with was its path editing and
contour adjustment capabilities.
I can precisely adjust the shape, curve, and stroke of each character
to ensure balance and consistency.
In addition, FontLab 7 also provides automated features such as
automatic stroke, spacing adjustment, and font generation, which
greatly improves my productivity.
Another interesting finding is that when designing fonts, I need to
take into account the different font combinations and the interactions
between characters.
Some character combinations can cause visual conflict or confusion,
so I need to constantly test and fine-tune to ensure that each
character remains legible in different combinations.
FURTHER READING
Typographic Design: Form and Communication is a 2015 book by Carter,
Day, Meggs, Maxa, and Sanders, published by John Wiley & Sons.
This book provides a comprehensive guide to typographic design,
exploring the important concepts of form, communication, and visual
communication in typographic design.
After reading this book, I have a deeper understanding of
typographic design.
The book details the history, principles, and techniques of
typographic design.
From traditional printing to modern digital typography, the book
covers the evolution and development of typography design, giving me
a more comprehensive understanding of the knowledge in this field.
In the book, the author emphasizes that the purpose of typographic
design is to effectively convey information through form and layout.
They discuss how to choose the right font, adjust kerning and line
spacing, and handle layout structure to achieve the best visual
effects and reading experience.
I learned a lot of practical methods and strategies on how to use
typographic design to enhance information delivery.
In addition, the book covers typographic design in relation to
color, images, diagrams, and other visual elements.
Through a wealth of case studies and examples, the author shows how
different design elements can be brought together to create
impressive visuals and powerful communication.
I am very satisfied with the reading of this book.
It provides a wealth of typographic design knowledge and practical
tips, allowing me to have a deeper understanding of this field.
The cases and examples in the book are also very inspiring and
inspire me to create.
I believe this book will be an important reference for my future
typographic design work and help me better apply typographic design
principles to convey information and express creativity.
All in all, Typographic Design: Form and Communication is an
indispensable read for anyone interested in typographic design.
It not only provides a theoretical basis, but also combines
practical cases with in-depth explanations, so that readers can
better understand and apply the principles and techniques of
typography design.
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