Hello,
This is my first attempt at designing a typeface. I'm a recent graphic design graduate and was looking for ways to hone my skills as a typographer and develop further understanding on how type is constructed( in other words, looking for ways to not waste my time before finding stable employment). Apart from bits and pieces from typography class in school, I have no training in type design.
The idea is to make a less contrasting baskerville font for text setting ideally between 9-12pts for both low res screen(what I'm working from) and print. This is what I have so far. Critique is really appreciated before I go on doing further damage to the typeface, thanks!
*I am aware that I need to be more generous with the sidebearings and the word space is way to big.
Comments
The /o/ (particularly the outer contour) seems a little lumpy to my eye. /n/ shoulder too--curves are hard! Do you have more nodes than necessary along those contours?
The /o/ only has 8 points... any suggestions on making it less lumpy?
It looks like most of your serifs are completely symmetrical, but if you open a font like Century, Galliard, or Plantin and measure the widths of each side of the serifs, you will see that they aren't always the same. And generally, the serifs on a capital letter should be wider than the ones in the lowercase.
Thanks so much for your feedback!
While making the top serifs on the H different from the bottom is not inconceivable, it is certainly very unconventional. If you are OK with making a relatively strange/odd typeface, that is up to you. But I suspect it will make it “not a normal text typeface.” I'd have to see it in use in body text to be sure, though. Sometimes details like this fade away, and sometimes they are surprisingly jarring.
Tried fixing the /o. Honestly my screen resolution is so bad that I can't tell whether it's better or not.
Also added /v. Feel that /H can still be a tiny bit wider.
Should /v/'s serifs be unbracketed like /H/'s?
I do think, as Nathan said, the cap serifs should be more substantial than the lowercase.
I always run a mental test: set side by side my font and some established one. If a non-typographer thinks they are indistinguishable, then I re-work it.
You could move the bottom apex of the /v a little to the left.
The serifs on the /v are smaller than those on the feet of the /n, this is just an observation i don't know if you should change anything for it.
I don't see the point of those jarringly incompatible serifs on the /H, though, especially since the top serifs of /v and /l do not second the idea.
So I fixed the /v and made an alternate /H. I think I'll put that problem aside for now and develop the lowercase letters more before settling down on what I'm going to do for the /H.
Are fonts created for the users(graphic designers, typographers, and the like) or for the target audience? I personally think there are more factors to consider when designing fonts aside from originality, like functionality etc.
Yeah, I got that vibe too when drawing. I did set Mrs Eaves beside it to compare and I think there's enough of a difference to distinguish between the two.