How to create typefaces. From sketch to screen

How to create typefaces. From sketch to screen
Cristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer, José Scaglione

How are typefaces designed? What is the process? Which characters are essential? What is the difference between roman, italic and cursive? What is OpenType? In How to create typefaces Cristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer and José Scaglione answer these and many other questions in a straightforward and direct way. This publication, aimed at new and novice type designers as well as those trained in the field, unravels the fascinating task of creating a font, from sketch to screen.

Content
Foreword by Gerry Leonidas

• Motives
The thinking that happens before even starting the process of creating a new typeface.

• Writing, calligraphy, drawing and type designs
On the similarities and differences between methods of writing, calligraphy, drawing, and type design; shared characteristics, common elements and considerations when sketching typographical characters.

• Processes and methods
On approaches to sketching, proportion and structure, consistency, optical correction, planning and workflow.

• Digitisation
On digitising the sketches, principles of drawing with digital outlines, fundamental and complementary characters, sequences and derivations.

• Spacing
On basic methods to control and adjust spacing: sidebearings and kerning, the importance of counterform, numerals and vertical spaces.

• Typographic programme
On series design and family variations – italics, weight and proportional variants, optical sizing, superfamilies and other ways of extending a typeface family.

• Typography as software
On the role of digital technology in typeface design, from the basics of formatting to the possibilities of Open Type features and Unicode.

• Distribution
On legal issues and marketing, plagiarism and piracy, distribution models, custom typeface design and costings.

• Perspective
Reflections of each author on their personal experiences of the process of type design.

• Glossary and Bibliography

Reviews
→ How magazine, by Jason Tselentis (October 2017) [in English]
→ Alphabettes, by Jessica McCarty (September 2017) [in English]
→ Typedrawers, by Simon Cozens (July 2017) [in English]
→ Eye magazine, the blog (June 2017) [in English]
→ Graffica.info (2017) [in Spanish]
→ Criterion (2015) [in Spanish]
→ Eye magazine (2012) [in English]
→ Unos Tipos Duros (2012)[in Spanish]
→ TGM (2012) [in German]
→ El blog de Manuel Rivas (2012) [in Spanish]
→ Don Serifa [in Spanish]
→ Neo2 [in Spanish]

The book Cómo crear tipografías was originally published in Spanish by Tipo e in 2012 and since then it has been published in different languages.
—Cómo crear tipografías. Del boceto a la pantalla
Tipo e, March 2012, November 2012, March 2015.
—Jak projektować kroje pisma. Od szkicu do ekranu
d2d, 2014. Technical review by Adam Twardoch.
—Cómo criar tipos: do esboço à tela
Estereográfica, 2014. Translated by Priscila Farias.
—How to create typefaces, from sketch to screen
Tipo e, May 2017. Translated by Christopher Burke and Patricia Córdoba.
—Chinese edition
Citiq Press, expected September 2017. Review by Liu Zhao.