Advanced Typography Task 3: Type Exploration and Application

31/5/2023 - 8/7/2023
Edwin Choo Quan Rong / 0348305 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) In Creative Media
GCD 61104 / Advanced Typography
Task 3: Type Exploration and Application

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Task 3: Type Exploration and Application
31/5/2023 - 7/7/2023

Project Brief: A rendition of a font design including all alphabets both upper and lower case, all numbers and all symbols available on keyboard. The aim of Advanced Typography's Task 3 is to create a font that solves an existing problem or be part of a solution to a specific area of interest. The final outcome consists of a complete generated font (.ttf) with applications conveyed via design.

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Idea Proposal

Fig 1.0 - Idea Proposals (31/5/2023)

These are the idea proposals for Task 3. After consulting with Mr. Vinod, I proceeded with Idea #1 for my final type exploration and application.

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Reference Study

Fig 1.1 - Analysis and study (1/6/2023)

Diving into the analysis of Epic (2013), I gathered movie posters and character designs of the Leafmen to dissect and determine the characteristics of their armor. The core elements I got were the leaf curls on their armor plating and robes as well as blunt and curved elements with sharp thorn-like elements from the Leafmen symbol. One day, I noticed a type design on a blackboard in the restaurant Thyme Out which inspired me to add more variations of the curl element.

Fig 1.2 - Font references (1/6/2023)

Additionally, the fonts Rostley and Ringlet were used as references to aid in the creation of my font.

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Digitization Process

Fig 1.3 - Beginning progression (3/6/2023)

In order to get accustomed with the elements, I experimented with multiple variations of the main word "epic". Each subsequent craft got me closer to my desired outcome of the design. 

Fig 1.4 - Process work - Week 10 (6/6/2023)

This was when I got slowly attuned to the style I was creating.

Fig 1.5 - Guides and existing fonts

While designing the letterforms for each font, guidelines based on an existing font was used as reference to structure the creation of my typeface.

Fig 1.6 - Font Constructiom

Fig 1.7 - Pathfinder tool

After combining multiple elements to create the letterforms, I used the Unite tool from Pathfinder to group them into a singular element.

Fig 1.8 - Initial full font design (4/7/2023)

While kerning in FontLab, I noticed that some letterforms appear too thick compared to others: mainly V, W and & symbol. Meanwhile, the single and double quotation marks required to be fixed as FontLab only allows one variation from my experience. I went and made changes to the font below.

Fig 1.9 - Polishing the font (8/7/2023)

Fig 2.0 - Final full font design (8/7/2023)

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FontLab 7

Fig 2.1 - Font Dimensions (6/6/2023)

Ascender     - 501pt

Cap Height - 491 pt

X-height     - 342 pt

Descender  - 125 pt

These settings were inputted into Family Dimensions and Font Dimensions in FontLab 7.

Fig 2.2 - Inputting font to FontLab (7/7/2023)

Each letterform, numbers and symbols were inputted into FontLab via dragging and dropping from Illustrator. The element is then placed towards the baseline and enlargened or reduced in size to fit the dimensions implemented.

Fig 2.3 - Sketchboard (8/7/2023)

The sketchboard is a useful tool for checking multiple aspects of the font: the size of each letter in comparison to others, the effect from kerning and whether if the inputted font has any issues of appearing.

Fig 2.4 - Kerning process (8/7/2023)

The general rule of thumb for each letter is to have a kerning of 50 in both left and right alignment. Additional kerning was done in between certain letters when the adjustment is needed to fix the counterspace.

Fig 2.5 - FontLab Typeface Overview (8/7/2023)

All that's left is to give the font a name. Firstly, I wonder if it should be called "epic". That would not correlate with the font style. So I took a look at the style and first thing I notice is "curl". It has to be "something" + "curl". Leafcurl, twigcurl, plantcurl? Then it hit me, "vinecurl". This name fit well with me as it describes the core element of the type design while also being nature-related.

Download and test the font here: vinecurl

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Font Presentation and Applications

Font Display Posters

To start, I decided on a color palette suitable for a nature themed font, which would be the style for my display posters.

Fig 3.0 - ColorHunt Palette (9/7/2023)

Browsing freepik, I looked for background designs similar to the color palette I had while having a clear or minimally distracting background to showcase the font.

Fig 3.1 - Display Cover Styles (9/7/2023)

I inputted my font into Illustrator and aligned it with the poster elements. After creating the variations, I decided to go with variation #1 as it resembles how vines get close to each other to intertwine.

Fig 3.2 - Final Display Cover (9/7/2023)

After creating the cover, I want to create a full font display to showcase my font. This will be in landscape format. 

Fig 3.3 - Full Font Display (9/7/2023)

The overlay is reused with varying opacity as I want the background to be seen but not to the point where it is distracting. The whole typeface is typed out in rows to showcase each category while the elements used to design the font are incorporated into the display.


Applications

Application #1
The first application is to recreate the title "epic" in the Epic (2013) movie poster, as that was the main goal in making this font in the first place. 

Fig 3.4 - Removing the title (10/7/2023)

The title has to be removed before I can implement my font, thus I used Photoshop's object selection tool to select the area I plan to remove, then using content aware tool to remove the title. This image is a before and after of the process. Watermarks are removed with the same procedures. 

Fig 3.5 - Placing the title (10/7/2023)

With the original title removed, I typed in my font for the title and used a gradient map applied on the font via clipping mask to obtain the gold effect. Down below is the final outcome of the poster.

Fig 3.6 - Epic (2013) Title Redesign (10/7/2023)

Application #2
This application focuses on nature-themed posters as that was the subsequent idea for creating this typeface. Both portrait and landscape variations are utilized and edited in Photoshop.

Fig 3.7 - Feel The Nature Poster (10/7/2023)

The text is incorporated into the main title and subheading of the poster to emphasize the nature elements via overlay. A mix of other typefaces is used as using mainly my font makes the poster look messy.

Fig 3.8 - Poster for adventure travels (10/7/2023)

This application was to test the varying sizes of the font from main headlines to small web urls. The elements were arranged in Illustrator.

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FINAL TASK SUBMISSIONS

Download and test the font here: vinecurl

Fig 4.0 - Final Font Display Cover JPEG (10/7/2023)

Fig 4.1 - Final Full Font Display JPEG (10/7/2023)

Fig 4.2 - Final Epic (2013) Poster Redesign JPEG (10/7/2023)

Fig 4.3 - Final Feel The Nature Poster JPEG (10/7/2023)

Fig 4.4 - Final Adventure Travels Poster JPEG (10/7/2023)

Fig 4.5 - Final Font Display Cover PDF (10/7/2023)



Fig 4.6 - Final Full Font Display PDF (10/7/2023)



Fig 4.7 - Final Applications PDF (10/7/2023)

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FEEDBACK

Week 9 Specific feedback: Idea #1 of redesigning movie title of Epic (2013) via using elements from the character design of the Leafman will be an ardous task. However, the rendition of this typeface will aid in designing applications into nature-related themes. Idea #2 is mixing pixel fonts with rounded elements to replace text designs of speech bubbles in old games like Pokemon Sapphire. Although this has been done before, it is still doable but replacing old type design improves it in a vacuum, it may not hold true when considering elements as a whole as the "outdated and bad" typeface is what gives it nostalgia and vintage quality, reminding people of that certain era. General feedback: When choosing a topic, a solid reasoning with specific examples will aid in providing a higher quality of validity with the reasoning. Experimental font design is unique but it may require too much time to complete within the timeframe, be wary when choosing this option. Week 10 Specific Feedback: Ensure elements don't stretch too far wide so the font wouldn't be awkward to digitize later. Main elements don't need to be implemented with every letter, sub-elements can be used instead. Stroke crafting and consistency is what makes a good typeface. General Feedback: Thorough research of the type is needed to solidify the why when crafting the unique elements of the typeface. Applications of the typeface should be kept in mind when making the digitization of the font to ensure the font can be used in multiple areas. Week 11 Specific Feedback: Strategically implement major and minor elements into each letterform. The major element does not need to be present in every letterform as it will be distracting. Certain letterforms can be carved with minor elements while still maintaining the relation to the rest of the font. General Feedback: Ensure stroke size consistency throughout the font. Test how the font looks in both large and small size. Thin (especially very thin) carvings of letterforms may be illegible when size is reduced. Week 12 Specific Feedback: Symbols to be created are ones accessible on keyboard. General Feedback: Use the Sharepoint folder as reference when making applications and displays Week 13 Public Holiday Week 14 Did not attend class as a result from participating in Innofest.

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REFLECTION

Experience 

This assignment helped me in evolving my font making skills, which in turn increased my awareness to detail and construction of the letterforms. The tasks has been a crucial learning process, with the applications of the typeface enhancing the reason why typography is important but often overlooked in most mediums. This experience has developed my technical skills in using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and FontLab. Armed with the knowledge I have now, I will be able to understand the procedure of creating typefaces and execute them.

Observations

Before taking typography, the font designs of books, movie titles, videos and many more seem like mere words. Though an accumulation of typography tasks and exercises has brought me to a point where I appreciate the different multiple typeface designs, the intricacies of it and the importance in the message it conveys. Typography is an art, an art of expression much like how it is in other medias like comics, illustrations, paintings and etc. Creating a typeface is not hard but long, an arduous process that requires meticulous tweaking of the font design to bring it to perfection. 

Findings 

Contrary to other mediums of art and design, typography is silent, simple, elegant. However, a closer look into typography reveals the hidden details, complexity and expressivity of the medium. These goes into the process of making full fonts aswell. A simple look at the typefaces designed by people would seem simple enough, however behind that lies a time-consuming process in refining the type. Understanding this helped me in designing my font as there is inspiration everywhere with typography, even if it is vague.

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FURTHER READING

Fig 5.0 - Typographic Design: Form and Communication (11/7/2023)

Page 159 - "Using type in time-based media"

Static and Dynamic Typography
In this section, I learned about static typography and dynamic typography. The former only has form to communicate to the viewer, the latter uses both form and behavior. Form includes the basis of uppercase or lowercase, bold or italic, serif or sans serif etc. to convey information while dynamic typography has movement in the type, now being able to communicate with extra opportunities from pace, rhythm and sound. These work together to create a mood, convey a message or display a hierarchy of information. One example of this is kinetic typography music videos. 

Structure and Sequence
Designers can convey an idea using a sequence to construct a narrative or convey information in a very explicit, direct manner known as denotative meaning. The order of sequence is important as it determines what the viewer experiences in context of the previous frame or scene. One way to frame the sequence of a type is to slowly pan out from the letter "o" in "hello", this gives the viewer proper time to identify the word "hello" due to the continuous nature of the sequence. Take the same sequence but this time the shots are jumbled, let's say the letter "o" comes first, immediately goes to the word "hello", goes back into the zoomed "llo" in "hello", pans out again for another shot and zooms in for another. The sequence in this manner is chaotic compared to the calmness of the previous sequence. Different sequencing affects the type with the message it conveys. One example is to create a dynamic typeface with the chaotic sequence for a horror movie title, scream or scare, this helps to amplify the effect of the type and contribute to the overall message conveyed.

Hierarchy

A flow of information, a sequence presented to the viewer. The type flows in and out of the frame in limited time to convey important information in which are said to have a "birth, life and death" order. Time gives significance to the type in the sense where elements only have limited time on-screen, thus the time it enters the frame can give significant meaning to the type design. Behavior is the speed at which words appear and disappear which affects the amount of attention a viewer gives them. Slow flowing text is often ignored at first as its calm and relaxed, while a text zooming by alerts the viewer due to its urgent and fleeting state. Words that appear either fast or slow relative to the consistent pace appears to be more significant. Additional elements like sound and music contributes to the typeface when entering or exiting the frame, a word that enters with ramping intensity of music enhances the significance of the type compared to others with no sound.