Type Design Course

• Instructor: Lynne Yun
• Parsons School of Design, Art Media & Technology
• 4:00–6:40pm on Thursdays, Spring 2020

Course Description

Knowing how to design letterform systems is a unique and specialized skill. It requires keen eyes that are attuned to see the finest of details, yet also know how to predict how those small features will function when they are seen repeatedly throughout a typographical system. In this course, students will learn the nuts and bolts of designing a working typeface. They will start out with calligraphy exercises to help understand the modular nature of typefaces, then apply that knowledge as a foundation for an original digital typeface.

Learning Outcomes:

By the successful completion of this course, students will have:

• Have knowledge of historical overview of letterforms
• Understand the modular nature of latin letterform systems
• Articulate and analyze letters and compositions
• Knowledge of how to plot proper bezier vector points
• Designing a working digital typeface (minimum ASCII set)
• Fluency in industry standard software (Glyphs)
• Know resources to seek inspiration & self-improvement (online & in NYC)

Required Supplies:

• Pencil and sharpener
• Eraser
• Ruler
• Masking or artists’ tape
• Pad of 9” x 12” Layout bond or tracing paper
• Black Zig Memory System Calligraphy Markers
• A range of sizes of black markers (.05 micron to fine sharpie)
• Mac with Glyphs app installed

Semester Overview

Subject to adjustment.

|Week|Class Content|Assignment|Reading |----|-------------|----------|------- |1|Intro: Overview of syllabus, class policy, Q&A <br> Lecture: Introduction & Review <br> Exercise: Rapid Ideation Exercise | <li>Email Document Page link </li><li> Get supplies & required reading book </li><li> Download class license & Install Glyphs 2 </li> | <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 1–4 </li><li> Counterpunch Excerpt</li> |2|Discussion: Reading <br> Exercise: Carolingian calligraphy<br> Lecture: Letterform Digitization <br> Demo: Overview of Glyphs App <br> <li>Basics of plotting vector points </li><li>Uploading Sketches</li><li>Font Info Window</li><li>Export Font File</li>| <li>Upload Carolingian calligraphy practice image </li><li>Digitize test word ‘grandiose’ in Glyphs & upload PDF </li>| <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 5–8 </li> |3|Discussion: Reading <br> Lecture: Letterform Adjustments <br> Demo: Glyphs App Efficiency <br> <li> Plotting Vectors Q&A </li><li>Layers</li><li>Components</li><li>Using spacing strings</li>| <li>Redraw ‘grandiose’ letters from last week + ‘t’ and space glyph </li><li> Complete Week 3 template PDF (feel free to customize) </li>| <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 9–13 </li> |4|Discussion: Reading <br> Review: Digitized test words Lecture: Typefaces for Today <br> Exercise: <li>Broad Edge Nib vs Pointed Nib </li> <li> Sketching a test word using Translation/Expansion model Technique & TypeCooker recipes| <li>3 Typeface Proposal Drafts (that includes pencil or digital sketches of test words, at least ‘aeon’). </li> <li> Proposal Base Template</li> | <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 14–17 </li> |5|Review: Typeface Proposal Draft <br> Lecture: Historical Overview of Letterforms & Inspirational Resources in NYC <br> Exercise: Preview of Proofs & concept of spacing | <li> Finish typeface proposal w/ test word 'adhesion' </li> | <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 18–21 </li> |6|Final Typeface Proposal Guest Critique with Juan Villanueva | <li>Complete Week 6 Proof</li> | <li>Theory of Type Design: Chapters 22–24 </li> |7|Discussion: Reading <br> Review: Typeface Proof | <li>Complete Week 7 Proof </li> |8|Class will be held online due to COVID-19 <br> Review: Typeface Proof <br> Lecture: Typeface Specimens | <li> Complete Week 8 Proof </li><li> Start thinking about type specimen </li> |N/A| Spring Break |9|Study Week due to COVID-19 <br> Individual Office Hours | Study Week due to COVID-19 <li> Continue with refining Week 8 Proof & ideation of type specimen </li> | <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 1</li> <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 2</li> |10| Review: Typeface Proof | <li>Complete Week 10 Proof </li> | <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 3</li> <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 4</li> |11| Review: Typeface Proof | <li>Complete Week 11 Proof </li> | <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 5</li> <li>History of the Latin Alphabet Part 6</li> |12| Review: Typeface Proof <br> Glyphs Demo: Using lists in Glyphs | <li> Complete Week 12 Proof </li> <li> Making smart list for required character set</li><li>.txt list and Glyphs File </li></li><li>Sketch for Type Specimen </li> | |13| Review: Typeface Proof <br> Review: Type Specimen Sketches | <li> Complete Week 13 Proof </li> <li>Typeface Specimen Draft</li> |14| Guest Critique with Juan Villanueva <br> | <li>Final Presentations </li> <Final Specimen> |15| Final Presentation Typeface Proof | <li> Submit final presentations </li><li> Submit images for class gallery website </li>

Resources

Recommended Books

• Gerard Unger Theory of Type Design. Nai010, 2018
• Fred Smeijers Counterpunch: Making Type in the Sixteenth Century, Designing Typefaces Now. Hyphen Press, 2011.
• Cristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer, José Scaglione. How to Create Typefaces: from Sketch to Screen. Tipo e, 2017.

Glyphs App Tutorials

• Glyphs Essential Training by Charles Nix
• Glyphs App Tutorial Posts

Spacing & Kerning

• Adhesiontext tool by Miguel Sousa

• Text for Proofing Fonts by Jonathan Hoefler

• Spacing Tests by Dan Rhatigan

• Kern King by Leslie Cabarga

• Galvanized Jets by Samarskaya & Partners

• Kerning Pairs by Andre Fuchs

• Micro Typography:How To Space And Kern Punctuation Marks And Other Symbols

Type Specimen Inspirations

• Pre-Digital Type Foundry Catalogs by Stephen Coles

Inspirational Finds

• Fonts In Use
• Archivio Tipograpfico
• Typographica: Type Reviews, Books, Commentary
• Alphabettes: Commentary by Women in Type
• South Asian Book Cover Collection by Erin McLaughlin

Variable Fonts

• Variable Fonts Support
• Can I Use

NYC Lectures, Classes & Events

• Type@Cooper
• The Type Directors Club
• Society of Scribes
• Type Thursday
• AIGA NY

Archives

• Herb Lubalin Study Center

Conferences

• Typographics: NYC, USA
• TypeCon: USA
• ATypI: International

Articles & Links

• A Useful Guide to Bad Type by Erik Van Blokland
• Thinking With Type by Ellen Lupton
• History of the Western European Alphabet by Judy Ross
• Multiscriptual Typesetting by Beatriz Lozano
• On Type Classifications by Indra Kupferschmid
• Bézier Curves and Type Design by Fábio Duarte Martins
• NYT: The Difference Between Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents

Resources on Punctuation

• Punctuation(1): the linguistic side by Lisa Fischbach
• Butterick's Practical Typography

Links for Post-Class

• Type Crit Crew
• Selling Fonts on MyFonts
• Listing Fonts on GoogleFonts