︎
Andrea Herstowski
aherstowski@ku.edu

office hours by appointment

Class Syllabus

Resources  

Google Drive

Final Font + Promotion

The rest of the semester will be spent on developing a typeface with a fuller glyph set, including all uppercase, all lowercase, numbers/figures, key punctuation and at least 4 diacritics. The first part of the semester was spent learning the principles of type design, how to draw glyphs, open type features, studies in construction and production. For the final project you can pick up any of the projects you did earlier and finish them out with a more complete glyph set or you can use what you have learned and start something new. You decide what option is best for you.


Reminders:
Set overshoots
Create components
Create optical compensation in round letterforms , horizontal vs vertical strokes and diagonals
Set Cap height and/or ascender height
Look at glyphs in context.
Space letters as you design.
Kern is the last stage.

The final project gets a bit complicated because you all with be at different stages. The milestones are set for you to be able to stay on track and to focus class discussions and demos. You can work ahead but don't fall behind.

CALENDAR

Mon. March 31

Introduction to the rest of the semester: final font and promotion
Read through the project milestones and make a plan.


HOMEWORK



For next class... be prepared to talk about...
I am using ___ that I started earlier in the semester or I am creating something new...
I am inspired to create this typeface because…
Typefaces that are similar to the typeface that I want to make it are ...
However, they don’t have these qualities that I want to have in my typeface...
My typeface will be different because...

Design by hand or in glyphs: HAMBERGERFONS or handglovesmurf. Get as far as you can and present what you are doing and where you are.

If you are starting with something you have started. Refine and make forms consistent before moving forward.

Determine overshoots. (Set them now). Set your stroke widths. And space the letters.Draw at least all the glyphs that use the diagonal
if you have started with caps draw the lowercase n (try 3 different x-heights and character widths)

If you have started with the lowercase, draw the uppercase H. (try different heights, different widths and compensate vertical vs horizontal stroke.)

Print out all the letters, put them in words and randomly add the n or H so we can see it in context.


Monday, April 7

Crit letters. Define x-height or cap height.
Setting metrics, overshoots....

HOMEWORK
For the opposite case you have been working on design by hand or in glyphs: HAMBERGERFONS or handglovesmurf and try some diagonal letters ie. k, x, v, w, y

Plus look at the words FINE fine FLIP flip determine if you need the fi, fl, ffl, ffi ligatures.

Sketch some options for ! ? & (ref: designing type and . , : : ? ! )
Print out all the glyphs so far (use the proofs if they help), make sure to show us not only the letters but also in words and use some words that show us if you need fi, fl etc ligatures


Wednesday, April 9

Crit where you are.
Stylistic Alternates
Ligatures
Open Type Features
Duplicating Glyphs

HOMEWORK
Keep adding glyphs.
Add the period, comma, semi-colon and colon. (tip: make them larger than you think you need to)
Sketch and design all the numbers. Have a couple options for each number.

Print out all the glyphs so far (use the proofs if they help), make sure to show us not only the letters but also in words


Monday, April 14

Intro promotion
*if you are going to want large sheets of paper we need to know by next Monday.
Show and tell previous promotion pieces.

HOMEWORK
Meet with your team and develop concepts, ideas and at least 2 different formats for promotional piece. Be prepared to present next Wed.

Keep adding and refining glyphs.
Design and draw numbers 2, 3, 5, 8 (proportional tabular or a lining.)

Make sure you are letterspacing as you are working.

Print out all the glyphs so far (use the proofs if they help), make sure to show us not only the letters but also in words


Wednesday, April 16

Lecture on accent marks/diacritics. 4 diacritics (accent marks ü, é, ñ...) https://glyphsapp.com/learn/diacritics

-> VIDEO Tutorial in class
->ABOUT http://diacritics.typo.cz/index.php?id=12

Choose 4 accent marks you can do the acute and grave accent marks they are the same mark just flipped. Pick 4 if you want to do more fine but I am only requiring 4.

Draw them over a lowercase letter to test them out.

Under Marks Legacy add all
Delete the ones you are not making

Duplicate them all and change the name to end in
comb = acutecomb ect

Duplicate all the comb and change .001 to .case = accutecomb.case

Accent marks are composites.
acute = the glyph if you wanted to just type the accent mark/diacritic
acutecomb = is the accent mark that will be automatically added to all lowercase letters
acutecomb.case = is the accent mark that will be automatically added to all the uppercase letters.

We will using the comb version as the outline and the other 2 will use components

SAVE AS. You man not like what happens today so save as!
Starting with 1 accent mark
In the COMB
Add it as a component to the other 2
Repeat
Save (if you didn’t save as before do it this time)

Anchors
Glyph -> Set Anchors or Command U
Select all glyphs and set anchors
Create Composite
Edit but be very careful when editing only move the anchor for the letter or the accent mark

Add Latin Core
Delete what you don’t want to make.


HOMEWORK
Create diacritics, refine, set them in place.
Keep adding and refining glyphs
Add all numbers/figures
Check in with your team about promo piece and be prepared to present your ideas/progress to the class on Wed.
Make sure you are letterspacing as you are working.
Print out all the glyphs so far (use the proofs if they help), make sure to show us not only the letters but also in words

Monday, April 21

Present promotion ideas, concepts, status...


HOMEWORK
Keep adding and refining glyphs
Add more punctuation “ ” ‘ ’. : ; ! ? @ & * { } ( ) (ref: Designing: * , @, ® :: Quote Marks :: Brackets
Print a full proof.

Wednesday, April 23

Crit and workday


HOMEWORK
Keep adding and refining glyphs.
Check in with your team about promo piece and be prepared to present your ideas/progress to the class on Wed.

Monday, April 28

Present promotion ideas, concepts, status...
Lecture kerning pairs.

*First you to have your kerning correct for all your letters. Type out in words. Use the Proof to check letter by letter. THEN do the kerning pairs -- they are the last thing to do. Do not make kerning pairs if your letterspacing isn't corrected first.

HOMEWORK
Adding and refine glyphs.
Work on promotion.

*Portfolio. It isn't required that you put type design into your portfolio but if you are thinking about it please take a stab at how it would look online and how you could present it in a pdf in an interview.

Wednesday, April 30

All the glyphs should be drawn. The rest of the time is refining, testing, spacing and kerning.

HOMEWORK
Refine glyphs.
Work on promotion.
(Prepare your files so you can package it when you hand it in)
Work on presentation for your final font. Final PDF will be due and you should want to show it (and maybe other projects on your website)

Monday, May 5

Present promotion.

HOMEWORK
Refining and finishing everything.

FINAL TBD 

Rick’s Place 
Please put everything for the final in one folder on the class google drive.
1) Hand-in final font as directed for all projects with the addition of a pdf of Super proof.

2) Promotional Experience. Printed

3) AND!!! Please package your promotional piece so I have the file, all the assets and the pdf... (I won’t be able to give you an A if you don’t turn it in :)