Design a Condensed Sans Serif Typeface

2h 11mIntermediate2017-11-27

Authors

Charles Nix

Designer, Typographer, and Educator

Course details

Learn the basics of constructing a condensed sans-serif font using Glyphs App, the premier software for designing type. Instructor Charles Nix takes you through the design process along a logical path, building from simple elements to a complete font. He shows how to create lowercase and uppercase forms, as well as numbers and punctuation. Once the font is complete, learn about refining it with spacing and kerning, and discover strategies for making the font your own. Charles closes with advice and resources for further exploration of the gothic condensed form and typography in general.

Learning objectives
Setting up a Glyphs App file
Defining the stroke width
Creating rounded glyphs
Creating numbers
Making uppercase and lowercase forms
Creating punctuation
Fixing spacing
Kerning
Making your font unique

Skills covered

Glyphs AppGlyphsTypographyMotion Graphics and VFXProjectGraphic DesignAnimation and Illustration

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - About this course
03 - What you need to know

1. About the Form

04 - Origin of sans serifs
05 - What are condensed gothics

2. The Uppercase

06 - Setting up the Glyphs App file
07 - Stroke width and base characters
08 - Diagonal capitals
09 - Rounded glyphs
10 - The B and S - Two new components
11 - Numbers

3. The Lowercase and Punctuation

12 - Basic lowercase forms
13 - Lowercase rounded letters
14 - Lowercase glyphs with pinched curves
15 - Lowercase r and s
16 - Lowercase glyphs with diagonals

4. Punctuation and Other Glyphs

17 - Punctuation
18 - Parentheses, brackets, and braces
19 - The ampersand
20 - A note on modularity

5. Spacing and Kerning

21 - Test and fix spacing
22 - Kerning

6. Making Your Font Unique

23 - Proportions
24 - Curves
25 - Filters
26 - Key differentiators

7. Expanding Your Knowledge

27 - Study notable examples
28 - General typographic resources