07 juni 2014

Fingerprinting the new font

The designer of a font has defined certain rules (and exceptions, mind you). In order to recreate a font I have to fathom those rules. Once found they can be reworked to a 'fingerprint'. This can be used as a template to design the missing characters of the complete alphabet.
The work progresses nicely, and the first prototype of the template is ready:


The colored bands define the vertical dimensions of the letters, I will have to experiment with the horizontal distribution of the elements.

That way I can experiment with the characters, keeping the important features in order. For instance, the H will look a bit like this:

Beautiful lettering in Zutphen

In the province of Gelderland lies a town called Zutphen. There you can find the oldest koffiehuis in The Netherlands. A koffiehuis is a place where you can relax, drink coffee and such but no alcohol. The house was started by a group that wanted the working class to abstain from alcoholic beverages. Around the year 1900 there was the danger that workmen spent their wages immediately on liquor, leaving wife and many children pennyless.
The Volkshuis, as the facility was named, got an entirely new front in 1926. The facelift of the building included magnificent woodwork, masonry, stained glass and awesome lettering.


The challenge is there: how to turn this letter sample into a complete font. I'm willing to take that challenge.