Type Design &

Development
Background

Text typefaces are expanding to include many weights and widths and
are increasingly refined in catering for detail typography.

Display typefaces are extending beyond simple forms to experiments

in typographic textures and alternate glyphs. At the other end,
corporate branding now demands typefaces that can be deployed
across several markets and in a wide range of environments. The
internationalization of publications and brands for products and
services is redefining our ideas 0f what is a typeface family, extending
across scripts.
Background

More visibly, the explosion of smart phones, eBook readers, and tablets
bring typefaces to the foreground of the design process. As less-than-
forgiving surfaces with constant dimensions replace format, color fidelity,
and material properties, typefaces and typography emerge as the dominant
ways to distinguish one publication from the next.

The recent maturity of Web fonts not only enables this process but hints at
the next big thing: typefaces for browser-based texts. Although it isn’t yet
widely understood, we are gradually moving toward an environment in
which brands and publications are primarily personal, local, and portable
The past as INSPIRATION

Typeface design is personal and social at the same time. It sits at the
intersection of a designer’s desire for identity and originality, the demands
of the moment, and the conventions shared by the intended audience.

The designer also needs to take into account the constraints of the type-
making and typesetting technology, the characteristics of the rendering
process (whether printing or illuminating), and the past responses to similar
conditions by countless designers. A good visual history of past designs is an
essential element of every designer’s toolkit.
The past as
INSPIRATION
Until recently, the divide between display and text
typefaces was wide: Text typefaces were often designed
with clear references to historical forms and quite
separate from display types. They also had long shelf
lives. The few exceptions, usually sans serif families such
as Universe or Futura, targeted specific markets. Type
histories tended to focus only on text typefaces for
books, often downplaying the contribution of sans serifs
to typographic design, ignoring display type and non-
Latin scripts.
The past as
INSPIRATION
Not until 1970 did we begin to see narratives with wider
scope that considered the full range of print production,
from small ephemera to broadside posters, newspapers
to lectern bibles

Today we tell a richer story of typeface, looking at the

development of styles in response to document types,
the effect of technology, market forces, and the interplay
between cultural movements and typeface design
Letters, Lines, and Paragraphs

Although we can look at typefaces within the framework of classification

systems, it is better to examine them in the context in which we see them on
the page, so to speak. Traditional systems categorize typefaces by features
such as angle of contrast, rate of modulation, and shape of serifs. (This
partly explains why sans serifs were not classified with the same degree of
analysis.)

But if we look at typefaces in use, we see that many letter features distort or
become less important to overall impression. The darkness of a block of text,
the visual reinforcement of horizontal and vertical axes, the distribution of
space within and between letters, the length of ascenders and descenders,
and the line spacing become the dominant features
Letters, Lines, and
Paragraphs
The typeface’s overall texture becomes less important
than the individual features. The presence or absence of
complementary styles and weights within the paragraph
and the editorial structure of the text determine our
reading strategy.

Typeface design never happens in a vacuum. The

designer acknowledges the wider historical and cultural
environments in which a typeface sits and must respect
the users’ expectations.
 A good designer is at least a social observer,
decoding the culture of visual communication.

A great designer is a social commentator,

adding a layer of interpretation and response.
The Language of Letters

Typeface design, type design,

or font design? Letter or glyph?
Letterform, perhaps?
Designers often use terms
interchangeably, but it is
helpful to have a good grasp
of the nuances, if only
because they reveal different
aspects of the design process
Tools and Concepts
Typeforms are inextricably linked to
writing. Not calligraphy, the craft of
exploring expression with hand rendered
forms, but writing in the widest possible
sense, from graffiti to a hasty “back in five
minutes” sign to the most elaborate piece
of public lettering.
These forms determine the fundamental
relationships betweenstrokes and empty
space at the heart of typeface design. On
top of these, the designer adds a layer of
interpretation and elaboration, making
unknown combinations of typeforms with
consistent texture and adding stylistic
cues.
Even the most constructed of typefaces
hints at the underlying rhythm of manual
mark-making.
 Tools and
Concepts
This type design involves abstraction. A type designer imagines
an idealized shape captured with type-making technology, then
typeset and rendered on material or screen. Part of a type
designer’s skill includes capitalizing on the potential of these
technologies, while at the same time understanding their
limitations and their eff ect on the fi nal forms. Producing the
same typeface for diff erent sizes and for a range of
technologies is impossible without separating the reference
model for a typeface, often designed fi rst with pencil and paper,
and each implementation with its specifi c properties (usually
relating
 To understand the conventions for weight
distribution and modularization, hold two pencils
tied together and write slowly with the pencil angle
unchanged. The resulting shapes will have, for the
Latin script mainly, the stress and modulation
typical of the traditional western style. Abstracted
from the specific “nib” dimensions, this method can
In Eben Sorkin’s Arrotino, the help answer questions such as where to place the
baseline outstrokes of the a and e thick strokes in extreme widths.
are similar but not identical. The
same treatment in the top
outstrokes of the c, f, and r ensures a
consistent typeface that retains a
hint of written irregularity and
balanced terminals. This is
particularly noticeable in the r, which
has a shorter arm, placing the
terminal close to the strong top half-
serif.
From a Letter to a
Typeface
It is not too difficult to design one letter or even a few. But
to design a full alphabet, a designer must balance
complementary and contrasting features across a large
character set. Making sure that range of shapes combines
to form a unified whole is the first step toward a new
typeface.
This underlying homogeneity distinguishes typefaces from
lettering and allows integration of unique features that
impart personality and style while maintaining readability
Many designers think of some variation of “hamburgefons” (a typical
test word used by type foundries) when starting a new typeface. But
which of those letters to attempt first? Ideally, a designer works with a
small set of letters that allows for the rapid development of ideas
while embodying a wide range of strokes to give an impression of the
face’s more distinctive features. The details here depend on a number
of factors, not least of which is the designer’s experience and skill and
whether he or she is making an entirely original design or one
inspired by an existing typeface. Sketching the n and the o alone is not
enough to give a good idea of where the typeface will end up.
Design by Team
There has been a gradual return to typeface design as a
team enterprise, drawing on the expertise of a group rather
than an individual. This concept is not new: Typeface design
in the hot-metal and phototype eras was very much a team
product. But just as the digital, platform-independent
formats enabled designers to function outside of a heavy
engineering world as sole traders, so it enabled the
explosion of character sets and families to unprecedented
levels. The necessary skills and the sheer volume of work
required for text and branding typefaces have driven a
growth of mid-size foundries where people with
complementary skills collaborate on a single product. The
corollary is a rise in the need for documentation and
explanation to a community of fellows. The short-lived
“creative hermit” model is giving way to new work modes.
Most of the typeface drawings that museums, archives,
and collections have show x-heights at anything from a
couple inches (or centimeters) to around ten inches (25
cm) high, depending on their ultimate purpose.
Designing on a computer screen requires a similarly
large zoom factor. In display typefaces, this often
reflects the rendering scale to allow the designer to
grasp how the typeforms will look. But typefaces
rendered at text sizes demand that the designer
understands how design decisions translate across
scales. This is one of the trickiest challenges for new
designers. Understanding how to make shapes at one
scale behave a particular way in another scale is not
straightforward. Readers look at words, lines, or
paragraphs of typeset text, but a designer makes
changes only to a single character. Imagining how a
small change in a single letter will affect a whole
paragraph is not an innate skill, but rather one learned
through experience
Typeface designers may use interpolation to
produce closely matched versions of
typefaces optimized for specific purposes,
such as Adobe’s Arno Pro, which ships with
five optical sizes (small text [for captions],
regular, subhead, and display). Four of these
appear here as green outlines; for
comparison, the black outline is the bold. Another use of interpolation
Once the basic interpolation is done, the involves the development of grades,
designer often returns to the outlines to which allow the designer to fine-tune
improve details for intermediate styles. the fit of a typeface to specific presses.
Setting the four variants at the same size Here the widths of the different styles
highlights the weight and spacing remain identical to avoid the need to
differences. reflow text based on grade selection.
 Rendering
Environment
The rendering environment (the test
design application’s display of type) plays
an important role in the connection
between the appearance of paragraphs
and specific design choices. Type design
applications may allow the designer to
zoom in until a detail fills the whole screen,
but this precludes the display of a whole
paragraph. Zoom out to allow multiple
lines of text on the screen, and the low
resolution renders the details too fuzzy to
judge. But printouts are also unreliable:
Postscript version, toner level, paper
quality and orientation, and many other
factors influence the quality of laser output.
For many years, a limit of 256
characters per font hampered
digital typefaces, as did a need
to ship in linked styles of four:
regular, italic, bold, and bold
italic.
Most foundries have now expanded their character
sets to include coverage for Latin script and are
extending into other scripts, driven mostly by
branding demand. But the most interesting
developments are in regard to thinking about
typeface families
 Emilie Rigaud’s Coline combines a
relatively restrained regular and
bold, with an informal upright style,
an upright italic with an associated
light version, and an extra bold that
pushes the style to its extreme.

Monotype Grotesque, a reference historical

sans family with an incomplete family,
works well for a wide range of documents.
Aoife Mooney’s Magnimo employs both an upright italic
and an inclined one. There is a careful mix of features
across the three styles to ensure that all combinations
hang together well. Depending on the text to be set and
the document’s tone, the designer can choose a more or
less discreet secondary style or employ all three instead of
using an extra weight for differentiation.
 Space Matters
Punchcutters and letter cutters know firsthand that the most important element in a typeface is the space between
letters. Readers are terrible at identifying specific widths along a line of text but extremely adept at picking out
inconsistencies. Within the space of a few words, a designer can establish the typeface’s basic rhythm; with small
variations of basic dimensions and spacing a typeface can appear normal or impart the impression of a wider or
narrower variant. This basic pattern greatly affects readability of the typeface, even more so than the details of the
dark shapes themselves.
A detail from the Encyclopedie of 1754 shows composed foundry type. Even though digital type is
disembodied, the same basic measurements apply. Studying good quality typesetting for hand-
set type can help a designer discover how much is possible to achieve with good spacing (before
the application of kerning). The middle row italics are off set on the body, an approach many
digital typeface designers today use.
Although display typefaces are relatively straightforward to space, spacing text typefaces
can be extremely time consuming. It is not easy to describe how in a few sentences, but
careful examination of good examples points to one basic rule and a fundamental set of
relationships.

Here’s the rule: The optimum average space between typeforms depends on the
relationship of the vertical-stroke width and the width of the counters in two-stroke forms
(such as the n and b), modified by the optical size for which the typeface is intended.
Outside a relatively narrow range, the x-height in relation to the width of the stroke is also
a factor. We can easily imagine a system of interlocking ratios that change with the
modification of one of these variables.

Of course, this approach does not directly answer how much space to leave between
letters; it only indicates a series of relationships. The trick is to remember that a text
typeface is spaced for paragraphs, not individual letter combinations. In other words, the
designer should aim for a specific density in the texture. Well-spaced paragraphs tend to
have a minimum of a stroke width’s white space between round letters and proportionately
more between straight ones.
 Character
Expansion
The demand for typefaces with
extended character sets has been
growing steadily for many years.
Operating systems and application
interfaces must be capable of displaying
many languages. That and the
internationalization of publications as
well as brands for products and services
means larger typeface character sets.
Today, a typical custom typeface for a
big brand may easily extend to several
thousand characters and span five or
more scripts.
This drawing for the Linotype VIP
system from 1976 shows a
typeface still in use in other
formats developed by a team of
designers. The type-making
process and the costs associated
mean that drawings such as this
encapsulate signifi cant
knowledge about the
typographic script.
Non-native Speakers Can a non-native speaker design a typeface for a language? A typeface arises
in response to a client’s brief, which taps into wider design problems. For example, many of the
conventions surrounding newspapers apply regardless of the market; the constraints on the
typographic specification can be deduced from the general qualities of the script and the
language
Writing exercises and a structural analysis of
examples can help the designer develop a feel for
the script before reading the words. More
importantly, when working with a language or
alphabet that is not his or her own, analysis of the
script’s structure and the relationship between
mark-making tools and typeforms can help the
designer to develop criteria for evaluating quality.

Typographic history is well populated with

designers excelling in the design of scripts they
could not read. Encouraging students to address
the complicated design problems inherent in non-
Latin scripts is not only a way of enriching the
global typographic environment, but also is a
superb means of producing designers who can
tackle a higher level of diffi culty in any aspect of
their design
Familiar Shapes,
New Interpretations

A typeface is a product of the

applied arts: It embodies
functionality and usability and has
intrinsic value through its utilization.
On the most basic level, it allows
encoding of textual meaning, but
on a higher level it allows
expression of values such as
association, style, identity,
differentiation, and beauty. This is
the least tangible aspect of a
typeface, but the one that most
motivates designers.
Excellence in typeface design can be difficult to
identify without the perspective of long-term review.
Typefaces can become prominent because they
embody a strong brand well or capture the moment
in terms of their visual style.

Typefaces for important publications or services are

typical of the first kind (think Cheltenham [186] for
the New York Times headlines, for example) and
Excoffon’s Mistral of the second. Other typefaces may
become successful through their wide use, even as
designers complain about their ubiquity. (Times is a
great example. It has become, arguably, a
metatypeface, existing in countless versions and
adaptations, but its typographic feel is instantly
recognizable worldwide.)

But a capacity for discovery and invention

characterize the field of typeface design.
Typeface designers have proven extremely
resourceful in their search for new typographic forms.
Four areas seem to encompass these efforts.

1. Designers enter a dialog with typographic history.

There are still many underexplored sources of
inspiration in old type specimens and in the
challenge of updating older styles to
contemporary needs (for example, the recent
spate of Modern typefaces).

1. New technology is informing typographic design

and opens up possibilities. The profusion of
typefaces exploring glyph substitution is the most
visible example.

1. Questioning of genres and the design process

waters down the distinctions of historical
classifications and introduces hybrid forms into
the mainstream.
Typeface designers have proven extremely
resourceful in their search for new typographic forms.
Four areas seem to encompass these efforts.

4. The challenge of developing new typefaces for

non-Latin scripts can serve a widening set of
typographic conditions (for example, typefaces for
multiple levels of emphasis in scripts that had,
until recently, only a few typefaces at their
disposal)

Depending on the brief and the language in which a

typeface is expressed, there is more or less room for
pushing the envelope of the acceptable. But in all cases
there is room for offering new interpretations on
familiar shapes.
Octavio Pardo-Virto’s Sutturah
pushes the limits of how much a
flowing style can be combined
with an extra bold stroke. The
joining strokes and deep cuts hint
at a three-dimensionality that can
be exploited with interesting
effects.