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Hand-made fonts
Although most fonts are created using computer programs, some craftier designers are making them by hand. |
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 Use these glazed biscuits to write |
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In print media, fonts are as important as the images themselves, that’s why their design is carefully planned out and there is an increasing trend towards using original and unique fonts that no one else has used before.
Nowadays it’s quite common to commission a font and many graphic designers focus a mayor part of their work on designing new types of lettering. These designs are sold in groups or individually, and it’s not a cheap product- exclusivity is nearly as pricey as caviar- although, once purchased, the buyer can use them as often as necessary.
A group of Dutch designers called Autobahn, made up of 3 former art school students from Utrecht, is dedicated to creating what they refer to as “Fresh Fonts”. This means they manufacture as well as design the fonts. One Dutch magazine commissioned them to create a font in order to illustrate an article about envy among neighbors. The designers created a font called Evergreen inspired by the phrase “The grass is always greener on the other side”. They bought a 20-meter roll of turf, drew the letters of the alphabet on it and cut them out, thus creating an alphabet made of real grass that they later photographed one letter at a time.
These designers have also created Heldentica, Tomatica and Gelvetica, letters made out of toothpaste, ketchup and whipped cream. They filled in the letters in a Helvetica alphabet template using these products. Because they were using fresh products and foodstuff, they had to hurry to take the photographs before the templates spoiled. The result are full-bodied letters that are almost three dimensional and are so visually appealing you almost feel like dipping a piece of bread in them.
Those who don’t want to spend a fortune, or don’t really need anything quite that exclusive, can visit several websites dedicated to the world of fonts. In the past few years, a plethora of sites have sprung up where you can browse, sample, and buy different types of font. At Handmade Font you can buy hand-made fonts made of hair, toasted bread, sofa upholstery, rocks, and sponges. Other websites are dedicated exclusively to certain types of fonts. For instance, at PretzelFont you can create phrases for free using pretzels. MyFonts.com has a catalogue offering a wide variety of fonts; letters are available in different price ranges and categories (retro, classic, elegant, geometrical…) and each of them comes with an illustrative example.
If you’re still using Times New Roman, it’s not for a lack of choice. What’s your favorite font?
Via Design Boom
Links
Autobahn
HandMade Font
PreztelFont
MyFonts
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