Typography

For this type anatomy workshop we had a guest lecturer, Dave Crossland, a Google Web Fonts project consultant in England who commissions new typefaces designed for the web and lecturer on typeface design and open source software. The main objective of this session was to look at what it is to design a font and learn new skills using the software mentioned later.

While working with Dave we looked at the main structure, tools and steps of constructing and designing a typeface. The first part of the session looked at how to avoid making mistakes when crafting type. Originally we began by discussing the correct way to begin drawing type, the main issue was not to draw the outline as most would but begin by creating the fill of the type you wish to design and then build the letter around this area.

The second part of the lecture was about introducing ourselves to 'Fontforge' a piece of open source software.
'Fontforge' is a literal name, it allows the user to alter or create fonts.

Within the workshop 'Dave Crossland' a co-developer of fontforge, did a walkthrough so that we could begin to build a basic understanding of the program. The videos in mytype illustrate and iexpand of these skills where is have used 'inkscape' another open source software to supplement and assist in a quick type construction in fontforge. The benefit of using fontforge with this software is you can draw whatever you like and then alter and 'touch up' the design in fontforge.

What is the Google Fonts Initiative?

Th google fontlibrary is an open source font collection which is web based, it allows users to download an use web fonts freely as well as add to the collection or alter typefaces as they wish. It is about passing control to the user following the open source initiative.

This website has been created for education purpose only it is not in anyway intended to make a profit. Module of Authorship & Interaction for the BA (Hons) Graphics & Comunication Design