Lettering Critiques — TypeDrawers

What i made this Lettering on my pencil

DJSilverbird35 — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:35:30 +0000

wwwwwww what's that www

How About My Handwriting?

DJSilverbird35 — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:11:50 +0000

Handwriting of Rabindranath Tagore - a calligraphic legacy

mitradranirban — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:46:35 +0000

Rabindranath Tagore (1862-1941) was Asia's first Nobel-Laureate poet, lyricist, musician, story writer, essayist, novelist, dramatist, painter, educationist, social reformer and what not. Today, after 84 years after his death, he still occupies the center stage of Bengali literature and culture.

Due to his iconic stature in Bengal, his handwriting was consider the de-facto standard in Bengali Calligraphy. There is a anecdote that once two students in Calcutta University was accused of cheating as they had identical handwriting. Later it was found that they both followed Tagore's handwriting.

When Government of India created a new terminal building in the International Airport in Kolkata, Tagore's handwriting was chosen as the principle design element

I have embarked on an attempt to create an open source Bengali font by scanning publicly available sample of Tagore's handwriting

This project is likely to take many years because

* my lack of competence and experience
* lack of enough publicly available samples
* myriad of conjucnts, variant forms and contextual forms involved.

Here I am attaching a very early peek of my project

Who created this abomination?

James Montalbano — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 14:16:05 +0000

The diagonal on the 4 looks as fat and bloated as...

Decal lettering critique

AbiRasheed — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 16:36:25 +0000

I find it okay to look at but since I haven't designed much type or design in awhile I'm not sure if something looks off like /Y comes to mind or spacing. all the glyphs are slightly bottom heavy but that was intentional. decal is going on the front windshield at 4"x34".

any thoughts? thanks.

Terrible (=really great!) Street Lettering

Scott-Martin Kosofsky — Fri, 21 May 2021 13:25:17 +0000

This photo was published today in The New York Times, in an obituary for Paul Van Doren, the co-founder of Vans shoes. There was no date on the photo, though the car (which I can’t identify with certainty—Camaro? Dart?) would place it around 1969/1970.

Funky Italic Feedback

Scott Biersack — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:44:57 +0000

Morning friends,

I'm in the process of vectoring a funky 70's vibe of a logotype for a client. It's a bit bell-bottomed and ideally has no straight lines. The spacing is on the tighter end, hence the "u-f-f" ligature to save space.

My main concerns/questions are about weight distribution and if you see how to make this feel more unified? The "s" especially is giving me trouble and I'm wondering if I should have heavier crossbars to match the bell-bottom-ness happening? Any and all thoughts appreciated!

Playful Italic Sans Critique

Scott Biersack — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 15:59:36 +0000

Morning friends,

It seems I'm utilizing the "Lettering Critique" category fairly often! I'm back at it again drawing a yet another logotype. The homie @Matthew Smith gave me some great feedback yesterday and I believe it's in a better point to share with all of you. I'm getting stuck with the very italic round forms in the word "Mondays". The spacing is rather tricky around the "A-Y-S" as well... Would love some extra eyeballs and thoughts on this to tidy everything up.

Thanks as always for the constant thoughts and feedback

Why is this hard to read?

Mads — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 17:16:19 +0000

I took a stab at drawing the name 'Augusta' – however, people are having a hard time reading the Au-part.
Do you have ideas as to what I should change to make it more readable?

Also, what's your opinion in general? I'm thankful for any pointers.

Wordmark Critique

mageQAZ — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 22:10:06 +0000

Hi everyone, I am new here. This is a wordmark I made recently for my self. I initially wanted the 'Q' and 'Z' forming a connected ligature. But, I thought it would affect readability hence, I disconnected the 'Q' and the 'Z'. I also hope to use the Q as a standalone icon for my calligraphy practice. I had a hard time balancing the 'A'.

Kindly help with critiques and tips for improvements. Thank you.

How Can I Improve This Script Logotype?

Scott Biersack — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 17:35:21 +0000

Hey there friends!

I'm working on perfecting a script logotype for a client and am attempting to make this as perfect as can be. I've reached the point where I've stared at this for so long I would love some additional eyeballs and thoughts!

I've included the rough original sketch for reference and how I've cleaned / tweaked things since then. I think it's shaping up nicely but can still use some minor finessing to get things juuuust right.

Above is the current vector state of things. Below is the rough sketch.

Illuminated opinion

Vasil Stanev — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 23:15:59 +0000

Hi gang!
This is a little something I think about putting on a t-shirt for millenials

Looking for opinions before I smooth the lines in Illustrator. Sorry for their messy quality - I am not that experienced in hand inking. But that's a good thing, because often the design improves from it.

Happy commenting!

Sans Logotype Critique

Scott Biersack — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 16:34:43 +0000

Hey friends,

I never draw sans logotypes for clients so I thought why not reach out to this wonderful community to pick it apart. I'm thinking it looks pretty good as is but looking for some guidance to take it to perfection. Appreciate any thoughts you may have!

Thanks a bunch —

Minimal Geometric Lettering

Evie S. — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 21:24:13 +0000

Hi all. I'm working on a lettering project just for fun, and I wanted a little critique on this. I haven't done any optical correction yet (is it necessary?) and I have had troubles with the /S and /@, especially the /@ because I haven't been able to find a reference. Any improvements would be welcome, and also comments on font pairings — I wanted to use a Vulf series font but not sure if it even fits. Attached are 2 variants for different aspect ratios.

Calligraphic lettering critique

Mads Davidsen — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 21:47:19 +0000

Hi,

Besides wanting to be a type designer, I also want to be a hand-letterer. So, I have experimented by drawing a Copperplate-esque script. This is sort of new terrain, so when giving your constructive critiques, I would appreciate if you would elaborate on why you think what you think. I usually use the Yanone plug-in in Glyphs to smooth out my curves. I haven’t done that this time. I would also greatly appreciate if you could give me tips on how to vectorise scripts more effectively. ‘Bog’ means ‘book’ in Danish. Thanks!

—Mads

Spacious Script Logotype

Scott Biersack — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 17:51:31 +0000

Hey guys!

Back again in search of guidance, feedback, and as always, a 2nd pair of eyes on this logotype I'm working on. Inspired by chrome automobile script lettering to feel reminiscent of the 60's era. The letterform construction, angles, and even spacing are all done with speed/motion in mind. Really wanted to evoke that organic handwritten feel.

With that said, the "t" exit stroke kind of bothers me for some reason and I'm also considering rounding out the counter of the "a" in "Ball"...I think it works currently but curious what others think.

Thanks in advance for taking a look!

A music app logotype critique

Oleg Fedorkov — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 12:31:09 +0000

Hello!
Its my first post here

I'm working on a logo for a music app that designed to help people find nearby gigs and other people to play with.

My main inspiration were underground gig posters from the last thirty years.
After the research i came to the conclusion that the letters need to be inaccurate and loose, as if they were drawn quickly by hand with a marker. But on the other hand they have to be simple enough and balanced to function as a logo.

I tried three different approaches and will be glad to hear some critique from people with more trained eyes than mine.

Sorry for my bad English

What the s... – looking for something to hold onto while drawing a stencil 's'.

Matthijs Sluiter — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 13:15:24 +0000

Hello there,

I am new here, let's see how this works. Below, you see a wordmark I am designing for a non-alcoholic home brewery. Things are slowly developing in the direction I am looking for, and lettershapes are getting more and more consistent. But that 's'... This is the kind of shape I want, strong, simple, not too wide, not too compact, and with bubble like dots. But whatever looks good when I zoom in, looks terrible in smal size, or in diapositive.

To me, it looks like there are only bad options to choose from:
1) get the two balls some more distant from the stem, so that the 's' does not clutter, but also: the shape will fall apart.
2) make the balls smaller, in order to create some space, but also: the shape will fall apart.
3) make the diagonal part of the stem some more upright, so the balls have some more space, but also: the s will loose its necessary width.
4) etc...

Can you font people help me with some advice as what parts should be held onto, when other parts get moving?

Thank you very much in advance,
Matthijs

Italic Lettered Logotype Critique

Scott Biersack — Wed, 02 May 2018 21:18:09 +0000

Hey friends!

Hopefully some of you get a chance to see this and provide feedback as I can see the "Lettering Critique" channel doesn't get used as often. Anyway, I'm in the process of wrapping up this logotype but would love an extra pair of eyes to help me finesse it to perfection. I'm thinking maybe the tittles need to be a bit wider to match my letterform widths and the spacing certainly needs work as well. This was built as a singular logotype, not individual glyphs like a typeface.

Thanks in advance for the guidance!
Scott

Personal Logo Critique

Niche. — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:04:12 +0000

Hello all, I have a bad case of "looking at this too long eyes" and need some pro criticism. This is my personal monogram/freelance logo. I feel like thickness of the /D flared serifs are conflicting with the triple flared serifs of the /S... Not sure what the best solution is.

Critique of slab serif

Mads Davidsen — Sat, 28 Oct 2017 13:42:26 +0000

Hi!

I am currently sketching a hand-lettering piece with this word, which means Egypt. I was hoping that anyone had some constructive criticism. I am already aware that the joints of the N are too thick. Thanks!

—Mads

SaveSave

Wooden Walls lettering

duncanmajor — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 17:32:46 +0000

Hi everyone,

I'm working on some lettering for a client, and would be much obliged to receive some critique.

Quick introduction, as I'm new here: I'm Duncan, I live in Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. I worked many (teenage) years as a printer's devil, now a letterpress printer and a graphic designer, but have no formal training, have never designed a typeface, and am pretty new to custom lettering. I'm working on training my eye by staring at specimens, watching tutorials, practicing and looking through forums (happy to have found this one!).

Some brief background on the name:
In 19th century St. John's, Newfoundland, wooden-hulled, steam-powered schooners filled the harbour, and were known as "wooden walls". To design the lettering for the client, I looked to roundhand, because the contrast, pen feel and wave-like flourishing seemed to embody the feeling of being at sea.

Welcoming any and all feedback! In particular I've been unsure about the size of the /W, the terminals in the /W, the form of the /s, the form of the upstrokes, how the /n plays into the composition, and the weight placement in the flourishes, and basically everything else.

Thank you.
Duncan

Logotype for a rock band

Krzysztof Filimonowicz — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 21:13:23 +0000

Hi there!
I am opening this topic to ask for your advice. Full disclosure: I am a complete amateur, I hardly know any theory or terminology. Yet, I though I might design a logotype for my band, Sonorous Regalia.
I have to warn you, that it might be the cringeworthiest thing you've seen on this forum. Without further ado, here it is:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9BhtlwviuCcMWJtb3c1S21Oa0U
It might be difficult to decipher, yet I somewhat like the fact that it resembles some exotic glyphs. It shows some potential when the letters are embossed:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9BhtlwviuCceUg2SlZoUGU2TFE
Alright, I don't expect praises. I am prepared for crushing (but hopefully constructive) criticism.
Best Regards,
Chris

A new type publishing brand

Henning von Vogelsang — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 12:07:58 +0000

For the past few months I have been working on my various type design projects to ramp them up for a release under my own label. I did a thorough brainstorming session over the weekend and came up with a new name: Arity.

I would like to throw this at you and get some feedback, your personal opinion, your gut feeling, your experience and your wisdom. The logo design is in early stages, but I like the direction. What’s more important to me is your opinion on the brand name.

There are some core values behind the brand:

* Reading focussed

* Display (mobile and desktop screen) purpose mainly (but not neglecting paper)

* Searching for new formats

* Contemporary and future oriented

* Less tradition, more direction

* Smart

Before you dissect these values, keep in mind they are merely there to give the brand idea some direction. They are not to be taken literally.

I’m looking forward to your feedback!

(Addendum: for some reason this thread ended up in Lettering Critiques, which was not my intention. I tried to change this, but it appears that is not possible. Sorry for the confusion.)

A Mysterious Symbol or Logo or Something - Any clues as to what it might signify?

Richard Fink — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:38:40 +0000

I was in an urgent care clinic yesterday and I was trying to figure out what on earth the symbol to the left of the lettering might mean. The woman who handled the patient intake saw me take the photo and she got curious also and went looking into Physicians Regional computer system to see if there was something in their promo stuff that might provide a clue but there was nothing. Can anybody figure out what that thing is and what it might have to do with medicine, or hospitals?

Lettering based on Kelmscott Press

Rebecca Bartola — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 11:26:54 +0000

Hello fellow typophiles!

I'm working on a stencil (drawn in Illustrator which will be laser cut into stencil board) and was hoping to get some feedback on my work so far since I'm still really new to lettering. My alphabet is based on work by William Morris but I've tried to give it a modern twist. I've also drawn florals to be printed behind each layer to ultimately create a two-colour stencil print. Any feedback whatsoever is appreciated!

Inspiration from Kelmscott:
https://grorarebookroom.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/kelmscottshelley2-copy1.jpg
http://cdn.ilovetypography.com/img/2012/04/Kelmscottrossetti.jpg

Stencil I created last year, for reference on how the letters will ultimately be used.

The Met new logo

Chris Lozos — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 01:11:03 +0000

I am sure you all have seen this by now:
http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/metropolitan-museums-new-logo-the-met.html?mid=fb-share-vulture

Join the Gewandhaus logo improvement flash mob!

Andreas Stötzner — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 17:48:47 +0000

For those interested in calligraphic logo design: the new Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra logotype is currently discussed (in German) on this site: http://www.typografie.info/…/33881-gewandhausorchester-log…/
I’ve suggested a collegiate action to post detailed critique upon the execution of the design.
Download the sheet sample and don’t miss the date 9-12 High noon to present your critique!

Book Cover Lettering

Tristan Bowersox — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 04:14:51 +0000

I am revisiting the lettering I did for the cover of a novel on the occasion of its sequel coming out. In retrospect, some of the choices I had made were odd, especially having the stress on the upstrokes of the loops... The original and my second take on it are below. I think it's more legible and more consistent, but if there are any critiques you have, fire away. I retained the descender on the /k/ even although I could no longer find an example of it elsewhere...I don't know; it seemed to fit the casual feel of the text composition... I'll post the sequel's title when I finish it.

Silvertype

Martin Silvertant — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 04:56:21 +0000

I'm not sure this is the right category considering this is a logo and not strictly a typeface, but it's a logotype I'm designing with my Baran typeface (which is very far from finished) as starting point. Let me know if I ought to post this in a different category. So I'm finally going to start selling some of my typefaces soon so I figured it might be a good idea to brand myself, particularly if I'm going to sell through MyFonts. Considering my last name is Silvertant I like the idea of calling my "foundry" Silvertype. Clear and simple. I usually like to involve some extra set of eyes as they always find kinks I missed. So feel free to give any criticism. Here's an image of Baran and the beginning of the Silvertype logo: Here's the initial logo as I posted it on Typophile for feedback: The members of Typophile made me realize I was designing a typeface rather than a logo; for a logo I ought to make the spacing much more consistent, and they're absolutely right. Here I did some adjustments: As you can see in the last image there are some wacky things going on. For example, I was compensating for the white space underneath /r's shoulder by extending the terminal downwards. Not great. I made a t_y ligature to make the spacing more consistent, though I'm not happy with it so I'm open to suggestions. I tried simply shortening the bar in /t but it looked awkward. I was also still finding ways to fix that very obtrusive y_p combination. This is where I'm at now: The ball terminal of /r is better, but I think I will make it more rounded again, somewhere between what I had in image 2 and the current one. I was subtly emulating the diamond shape of the tittle in image 3 but it doesn't look right. I'm also not happy about i_l connecting. Craig Eliason commented there's a disconnect between the sharpness of the corners in /S and the rounded right side of the head serifs. I wanted to play with this contrast between sharp and rounded forms. Let me know what you think.