Phase 2: Building Blocks
Modules 5-7

What You’ll Learn

Basics of Font Production
Character Set Expansion
Building a Unique Typographic Voice5. Basics of Font Production Processes:

• Spacing & Kerning: Learn the techniques for adjusting spacing between individual letter pairs to achieve visual harmony.
• Curve Tension and Point Placement: Optimize curve tension to refine the shapes of your letterforms, avoiding common mistakes in point placement.
• Alignment Zones: Learn how to use alignment zones to enhance on-screen performance of your typeface.

6. Expanding the Character Set:

• Punctuation, Numerals, and Symbols: Draw and align these elements with the typographic DNA of your typeface to ensure consistency.
• Role of Diacritics: Learn the importance of diacritics in diverse language support and common pitfalls to avoid.
• Ligatures, Alternates, and OpenType Features: Understand the creation and implementation of ligatures and alternates, and gain a basic grasp of OpenType features.

7. Building a Unique Typographic Voice:

• Experimenting with Concepts and Styles: Explore different stylistic approaches through the use of stylistic sets.
• Testing and Proofing: Continuously test and proof your designs to ensure they convey a unique typographic voice.
• Refining Typeface DNA: Use feedback from testing to refine and solidify the distinctive characteristics of your typeface.