So far, I've always done the kerning when the drawing and spacing are completely done. Of course I find this very painful routine. Do you think this is a good idea to do this step together with the design and spacing? Are there advantages or disadvantages of this?
Thanks
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• Take long breaks between designing and kerning. This lets me critique the work more objectively.
• Print and check the kerning proofs before I start kerning. This turns up problems I would otherwise find after I start kerning.
• Get everything done in one master and take copious notes. Turn those notes into a list of changes to make in every other master before kerning them.
but I've always found that kerning give me insight into the drawing and spacing and sometimes, well after I think I should be done, I'll adjust the outline or the metrics while I think I should be only kerning
That, right there, is pure gold and so true.
Those other tips you've done will be helpful. Thanks.
But, in the end it's the icing on the cake, so to speak, and I roll up my sleeves and bang away. Very tedious. But, if done right, very rewarding. Brings all aspects of the overall design together.
I usually start on the regular weight and copy the kerning data to the lightest weight and check if things need to be adjusted. Then, go on to the heaviest. If the kerning data works for the extremes as well I copy all the kerning data to all the other weights as well. Printout specimen sheets on all and review. Go back and make slight adjustments if I missed anything on screen.
Only one drawback, if you discover that there seem to be too many kerning pairs you soon realize that perhaps you could have fit the control characters better, and this can cause a lot of cursing and rework, going back and forth... refitting everything all over again.
So, I really take extra care, from the beginning, to get the spacing worked out properly throughout all the weights and style variations.
In the end I'm exhausted. Anyone know of a really good auto script to tackle this part? I would love to automate this aspect of the overall design process. But, my feeling is that programming will never replace the human factor.
Or better yet. Anyone really good at this and wants to do it full time. If the price-is-right I would gladly farm this work out.
In the newest family I’m working on
- I’ve designed the 1st master with UC,LC, SC, figures,symbols, some OT featured glyphs.
- spaced it as best as possible
- I’m designing now UC and LC only for all the other Masters
- I'll space these new masters
- when happy with the result, I’ll complete with SC, figures etc etc
- I’ll kern then!
- I’ll add some liga, dlig, swashes
As James says, it's good to take breaks between letterforms design, spacing, kerning. Kerning lately lets you improve spacing step by step.Of course this roadmap assumes 1 or 2 years before releasing your font family