Typeface Design Workflow

type-design-workflow.md

Type Design Workflow / Checklist

Tools

• Pen and paper (grid pad preferably)
• Glyphs 2.0
• Optional but helpful: Glyphs extensions

Before We Begin

• These notes can be generally followed in order however some steps will likely be done constantly throughout the design process until the typeface matures - eg. sketching, kerning, testing etc.
• Read the Glyphs Tutorials for understanding common functions talked about below.

Initial Outlines

Brief

• Set yourself a brief - what problem is your typeface aiming to solve? Who is it for / not for?

Sketching

• Warm up by drawing some basic geometric shapes
• Draw some basic letterforms (lowercase or uppercase h, o) and sketch other letters over the top eg. b, d, n, m)
• Consult Fernando Diaz's PDF for some starting points for common shapes

Letterforms

• Draw out the basic shapes for h and o
• Start constructing common components from them based on Fernando's PDF
• Make components from these common elements to repeat around the design
• If using serifs, construct the serifs as components and set up anchor points on each letterform
• Design numbers
• Design punctuation

Foreign Characters

• Design diacritics, umlauts, other dangly bits
• Design Greek / Cyrillic / other language variants

Optical & Cleanup

• Check width
• Add extrema points to all curves
• Check and correct stroke direction on all characters

Kerning

Testing

• Export the fonts and load them up in Adobe software using this technique
• Use James Puckett's InDesign Proof Files to test the typeface out in various layouts.

Making A Family

• Determine what variations you'd like to create in your typeface family.
• Weights - how many weights and in what contrast? Eg. 5 weights: Light, Thin, Regular, Bold, Heavy
• Italics - what style? what angle will they slant on? Eg. 10°
• Widths - do you want to make condensed or extended character width options?
• Display - shadow / grunge / distressed / outline variations?
• Dingbats - do you want to create complimentary dingbats, symbols, other useful items?
• Color - will you make the font color-compatible? Will it use emojis?

Sketching

Modifying Components

Interpolation

Round 2 (COKT)

Naming

• Generate some names and search online to see if they're taken or not
• Finalise the typeface name
• Do you need to trademark the name?

Export

Marketing

Submission

Helpful Links

• Discussion on Type Drawers about starting approaches for font design