TYPOGAPHY TASK 3 - DESIGN AND COMMUNICATION
2/6/2025 - 25/07/2025/Week7 - Week13
ZHANG QIYU/0384019
Typography/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media/Taylor's University
Task 3:Type Design and Communication
LECTURES
Typography Task 3: Type Design & Communication
1.Core Design Principles
When constructing your typeface, adhere to these fundamental typographic rules:
Key Reference Lines:
- Ascender line
- Cap height
- Mean/median line
- Baseline
- Descender line
Software Setup (Adobe Illustrator):
- Artboard: 1000 × 1000 pts
- Color Mode: CMYK
- Important Notes:
- X-height must be 500 pts (create a 500 × 500 pt reference box).
- Ascenders/descenders must stay within artboard bounds.
- Optical Adjustment: Round letters (e.g., "O") need slight overshoot beyond baseline/cap height for visual balance.
2.Design Methods & Techniques
Three Approaches to Build Letters
- Brush + Pen Tool: Sketch with a calligraphic brush, then refine with the Pen Tool.
- Pure Pen Tool: Draw precise anchor points manually.
- Shape Construction: Combine basic shapes (rectangles, circles) and modify with Pathfinder (most time-consuming but highly controlled).
Refinement Tips
- Add Texture: Adjust roughness in Calligraphic Brush Options.
- Convert Strokes to Shapes: Object > Path > Outline Stroke.
- Trim Excess: Use Pathfinder > Minus Front.
3. FontLab Setup
Initial Configuration (Critical Steps)
Preferences (Ctrl + ,)→ Enable:
- Keep stroke and colors
- Import original position
- Preserve appearance when pasting contours
Font Metadata:
- Name your font family and style.
- Set `X-height = 500`.
- Add copyright/license info under `Legal` (reference Google EUA terms).
4.Assignment Requirements
Research Phase
- Analyze 10 existing typefaces, deconstruct 3 closest matches(e.g., dissect letter "r") to study stroke structure and optical adjustments.
Design Phase
- Submit multiple drafts (serif/sans-serif, uppercase/lowercase).
- Counter Space Rule: Gaps between strokes should equal half the stem width.
Punctuation Design
- Period: Slightly larger than the dot of "i" but unobtrusive.
- Comma: Head smaller than a period; tail angle matches letter "S".
- Ellipsis: Three progressively narrower periods.
Follow this workflow to systematically develop your typeface from sketch to digital font.
INSTRUCTIONS
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1. Deconstruction
To begin, we are tasked to study and analyze anatomical parts of one existing font designs from the 10 fonts given and one other font from fonts.google.com, font.share.com, etc., by deconstruction or dissection. The purpose of deconstruction is to give us a general idea/principle of how other create their font. I chose the Bembo Std font and analyzed the characters H, o, g, and b.
Fig.1.1 Deconstruction of H,o,g,b from Fruktur
Before designing anything, Mr Vinod got us to write the letters out to practice writing and get us more familiar with the way the letter is formed. We were asked to first try out 5 different nibs and pick the nib we liked the most to practice writing with. In the end, the nid that I choose was an extra thic flat head.
For this task, we were to design a type of the letters A,E,P,Y,I,T,G,D,M,O,B and the symbols # and !.
3. Digitizing the written letters
Mr Vinod had us digitize some of our sketches in class to see if we know how to do it. After that, I tried to digitize the fonts based on my sketch using the brush tool and pencil tool.
I evolved based on the regular font. At first, the designed font was rather smooth, but I didn't like it. Later, I studied many reference images and designed a new one. The edges of this font are more rugged.
Fig. 3.1 Initial design evolution
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Fig. 3.3 The process of letter design changes
4. Developing the final font in FontLab
Watch the video tutorial, conduct tests in FontLab, complete the following letters and punctuation marks in FontLab: `A E P Y I T G D M O B` or lowercase `a e p y l t g d m o b` + `, . ! #`. When importing the font from Illustrator, it is necessary to check the integrity of the anchor points and the paths.
5.Final Outcome
Fig.5.2 Construction on art board generated in AI (PDF)
Fig. 5.3 A4 poster (JPEG, 1024px, 300ppi) generated in AI
Fig .5.4 A4 poster (PDF) generated in AI
FEEDBACK
Week 7
- General feedback:This assignment requires me to complete several tasks in the areas of font design and communication, such as font analysis and handwriting practice. Overall, the task design is clear and covers both theoretical and practical aspects, which helps me gain a deeper understanding of font structure and writing techniques.
- Specific Feedback:During the drawing process, it is difficult to control the shape of the pen, and details such as the shape of the serifs, the space between the letters, and the proportion relationship are overlooked. However, the overall completion degree is relatively good, especially in the diversity of the pen strokes used for letter writing.
Week 8
- General feedback:This assignment continues the learning objectives of the font design course. By combining handwriting practice with digital design, it has helped me comprehensively master the techniques of font design through both practice and theory.
- Specific Feedback:I chose a writing style I liked as a reference and created the letters. Then, I followed the tutorial videos provided by the professor step by step.
Week 9
- General feedback:Continuing the systematic learning of font design, through phased task arrangements (from handwriting to digitization), it helps to master the process. Further optimization can be made in terms of the selection criteria for letters and the flexibility of the digitization steps.
- Specific Feedback:At the beginning, there was no explanation of the principle of letter selection and no clear requirements for the specific records of the letter process. Further improvements are needed.
Week 10
- General feedback:This assignment serves as a continuation of the typography design course, focusing on punctuation symbol design and advanced application of font software. Through videos, we will learn about the software (FontLab).
- Specific Feedback:Further, we will revise the previously created letters and unify the design style of the letters.
Week 11
- General feedback:The font design course has entered the practical stage using professional software. Through the practical application of FontLab, the initial design results are systematized.
- Specific Feedback:According to the video guidance, the font style is unique, and the process files are complete.
Week 12
- General feedback: This final submission guide clearly outlines the concluding stage of the font design course and systematically integrates all the requirements from the creative conception to the final output of the product.
- Specific Feedback: The greatest achievement of this assignment was the establishment of a complete awareness of font design delivery. From the initial sketches to the final font files and promotional materials, there were clear quality requirements at every stage.
Week 13
- General feedback:This final assignment guide systematically integrates the learning outcomes of the entire font design course. Through the "Final Compilation and Reflection" task, it prompts students to structure and organize their 14-week learning process.
- Specific Feedback:When completing the final assembly task, I deeply appreciated the systematic and continuous nature of the course design. The requirement to integrate the outcomes of the first three tasks into the final reflection seemed simple at first glance, but upon actual implementation, it was found that the validity of each link needed to be repeatedly checked.
REFLECTION
Experience
Through several consecutive weeks of font design assignments, I gradually moved from basic handwriting practice to professional digital design. Initially, I used markers to explore the structure of letters, developing sensitivity to strokes and proportions; in the middle stage, I used Illustrator to deeply analyze letters, learning about kerning adjustments and punctuation symbol design; in the final stage, I came into contact with FontLab, completing the entire process from creativity to production. The professor's teaching videos were clear and understandable.
Observations
After entering the practical stage of FontLab, I truly understood the industrial requirements of font design. When I first imported an Illustrator file into FontLab, due to not fully grasping the importance of "contouring the stroke", all the paths were misaligned, and I had to redo everything. This lesson made me realize that professional font design not only requires aesthetic ability, but also strict technical standards. As my practice deepened, I gradually mastered the tricks for adjusting the character spacing, such as circular letters requiring a more compact spacing than straight lines, and the spacing standards for capital and lowercase letters are also different.
Findings
Looking back on the entire learning process, I have noticed a significant change in my design thinking. Initially, I focused more on the aesthetic beauty of individual letters; later, I paid more attention to the systematic and practicality of the entire font set. For instance, when designing punctuation marks, I would actively consider their visual harmony with the letters; when adjusting the letter spacing, I would think about the effects of different letter combinations in practical applications. This shift from a local perspective to an overall one has given me a more professional understanding of font design. Although I encountered many challenges in the course, such as being unskilled in software operation and not having a solid grasp of design standards, these difficulties prompted me to constantly improve and grow. Now, not only can I complete basic font design, but I have also established a set of professional working methods and aesthetic standards.
FURTHER READING
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The book "Reference for Layout" offers readers a gateway to the world of layout art with its rich content and professional perspective. The book not only covers the historical evolution of layout language but also presents practical techniques of layout design through numerous visual examples. This combination of theory and practice enables readers to more intuitively understand the essence of layout, and also provides valuable reference materials for designers.
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1. Reading Direction and Visual Flow
- Western cultures follow a left-to-right reading pattern, with the reader’s gaze typically starting at the **top-left corner** of a layout. The scanning path resembles a "Z" shape: left → right → diagonal down → repeat. This applies to print (books, magazines) and digital media (websites).
- Designers must align key content with this natural flow (e.g., placing primary information in the top-left zone).
2. Factors Influencing Reading Behavior
- The text mentions adjustments in reading styles due to layout elements (e.g., paragraph spacing, visual cues), though some phrases are unclear (e.g., "7th and 8th passages" may refer to column breaks).
- Effective typography leverages hierarchy and rhythm to guide the reader’s eye and enhance usability.
3. Design Examples and Practices
- An experiment with vertically stacked letters (e.g., E, V, I, K) is noted, possibly exploring legibility or compositional clarity (further context needed).
- The reference “214 | Typography, Reformed” may cite a textbook or study (e.g., page 214 of a book titled Typography, Reformed), but details are incomplete.
Overall, "Reference Document Layout" is an excellent work that combines both academic and practical aspects. It not only provides readers with comprehensive layout knowledge, but also makes the learning process more vivid and interesting through visual presentation. For anyone interested in layout design, this book is an invaluable guide. It has made me more aware of the importance of layout in visual communication, and has also inspired me to pay more attention to the balance between details and artistry in my future designs.
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