/r/typography

Photograph via snooOG

A community all about typography and type design.

What to post?

What not to post?

  1. No typeface identification requests. Use /r/identifythisfont instead.
  2. No lettering, calligraphy, handwriting, graffiti, illustrations. These belong in /r/lettering. Glyph design is welcome.
  3. No memes, image macros and similar submissions.
  4. No bad typography. Only exception: It’s educational and non-obvious. Rule of thumb: If your submission is about Comic Sans MS misuse, bad keming or a funny typo, it’s likely better not to post it.
  5. Follow reddiquette.
  6. No self-promotion.

Please report such posts.

Do not use URL shorteners. They often trigger Reddit’s spam filter.

Quick start

  • Typography: The art and technique of arranging physical or digital type.
  • Typesetting: The act of arranging physical or digital type.
  • Type: Printed or digitally reproduced glyphs.
  • Glyphs: The symbols in a typeface that represent characters like A, ! or 5.

Type can be rearranged and reproduced. Handwriting – among other techniques – cannot.

Related subreddits

Suggested links

/r/typography

422,546 Subscribers

2

Creating a custom and randomized "handwriting" font with text variations/defects

I have tendonitis so I can't write as much as I'd like. I'm looking to use a pen plotter to write "handwritten" index cards and to address envelopes that I'll be mailing out. This is for the sake of automating the process and eliminating the need to use my hands.

The index cards will all say the same thing, but each individual one needs to have permutations and variables that make it look real and convincing. It cannot look superficial - a simple handwriting font will not pass.

I need an ability to randomize parameters such as

  1. Spacing between letters (how far/close together the spacing is between each letter)
  2. Randomization/Variable characters (variations of the letter A, B, C etc so that no two characters look the exact same, or are repeated TWICE in a row) (For example, I may have 20 subtle variations per letter and be able to randomly cycle through which one is picked)
  3. Randomization/Skewing over line drift (Writing in a completely straight line looks fake, so some drift is needed)

I'm wondering if anyone knows how to simplify this process for me? Is there some utility or software that can make this easy? I know PPT technologies makes a machine that has their own proprietary software and CUSTOM made handwriting fonts (that adhere to basically all 3 bullet points above to make it look "real") but it costs $16,000

I know there are people using cheap pen plotters like Bachin Draws/AxiDraws/iDraws in conjunction with software (this is where all the randomization happens) like say Adobe Illustrator and achieving the same "convincing human handwriting" with way less money. I think I've heard some mention of a plugin called "Randomino" but I don't really know what to do.

I saw a .gif floating around showcasing exactly what I'm talking about. There was a sentence like "The brown dog jumped over the tall fence" in Illustrator or some type of software, but every time a "randomize" button was clicked, the spacing/drift/alphabetic characters would completely change and make the font look slightly different/humanized. No two sentences looked the same because of this, and an expert would have been fooled. The person who created the gif would not divulge how they were able to achieve this. Very tight lipped.

When the randomize button was clicked, it did not look like someone else handwriting every time, it still looked like a unique and individual handwriting, there was justvariance/blemishes/permutations.

Can someone help me brainstorm and simplify this process? It needs to look completely authentic.

I'll cross reference this post. I'm looking to do exactly this. None of the replies to OPs post were definitive or particularly useful. https://www.reddit.com/r/axidraw/comments/qw9p29/question_regarding_handwritten_font_and_text/

0 Comments
2024/03/26
19:41 UTC

1

Header pairings for Palatino?

I'm looking for nice header/title font pairings for Palatino / Book Antiqua body text, preferably not sans serif. Any suggestions?

3 Comments
2024/03/26
16:02 UTC

2

Monolinear script - Is Segoe script good enough?

Hi! I'm looking for a monolinear script font for a charity project, something in cursive but easy to read. Is Segoe Script too cheesy and déjà vu? I just saw that I had it installed and it seemed to pair well with the other font I picked but it being a default windows typeface has me second guessing it. Could you suggest an alternative with more flair?

Thanks a lot for your advices.

3 Comments
2024/03/26
15:24 UTC

3

Hi, I am new to Type Design and wanted to ask for recommendations where to start?

Cool fonts, good books, documentaries, amazing Font Designers, magazines, important rules, … I don‘t know where to begin and would love to know what you could recommend to someone new to typography! Thank you

5 Comments
2024/03/26
09:06 UTC

2

opinions on gotham

i've noticed that Gotham usually has mixed reactions so i'd like to hear your opinions. personally, i like gotham but it is quite overused.

i've also seen that many sites use gotham as their main font, like;

scam-detector

roblox

tingleflow

australian labor government sites

etc

11 Comments
2024/03/26
03:28 UTC

4

Need help finding similar font

Hey there , I am looking for some help finding a font that is similar to the photo I am including.

I located the font using CapCut (I know). It is called “Coconut” on there but I am not able to find one online.

I mainly like the boldness and uniform feel that this font brings. Any help is greatly appreciated for even a similar one. Thanks!

18 Comments
2024/03/25
21:12 UTC

3

Are there any fonts like instrument serif with more weight options?

link to instrument serif

I cannot seem to find anything that looks similar enough, especially the condensed to height ratio the font has. After using multiple websites to find an alternative I'm stumped. I've tried using forced font weights, but it looks horrendous on certain browsers.

2 Comments
2024/03/25
15:43 UTC

0

Recommendation for hotel info book body text

Hi,

I am currently redesigning the info folder/book for a small hotel and looking for an easy to read serif typeface that is not overly used like Times new roman or garamond. the headlines and logo is in OzHandicraft BT and is part of the CD of the hotel and cant be changed. so any recommendation that would fit with that are much appreciated!

thanks in advance!!

3 Comments
2024/03/25
15:17 UTC

2

Glyphs app: can't move any shape

Hi everyone,

(see screenshot for more clarity)

I'm not able to move any shapes i make, only the points. I also can't select different options in de navigation (for example: can't choose to make a circle instead of a rectangle.) I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that my bar on the left is blue? But i can't figure out why or how. Already tried force stopping the app/deleting my project/updating.

https://preview.redd.it/ujm1kw1uu9qc1.png?width=3022&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0e0d0277466a540fa3c86d4d26171f861994cc6

4 Comments
2024/03/24
12:00 UTC

4

Share your favourite fonts for body text

I am trying to find another font to replace my 'personal' font. I tried Inter, Alegreya Sans, and Fira Sans but I don't feel those fonts work for me. I keep going back to what I have been using for years: Source Sans. I really like it, but I think I am already tired of looking at it. Too tired that it almost feels like Calibri. Too default-looking.

Any fonts that you like that you can share here? (Hopefully open source!)

4 Comments
2024/03/22
22:14 UTC

4

Custom font from an existing logo?

Hey guys,

Give it to me straight; can one make a font of an existing, registered logo, and sell it? Say this one: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brutus_logo.svg, it'd make a nice font, and big part of the niceness indeed is the recognizability... so feels a bit sketchy endeavour. Many thanks!

12 Comments
2024/03/22
18:55 UTC

162

My first test for variable sans/serif (most probably only useful for animation :)

38 Comments
2024/03/22
17:37 UTC

0

is FontMeme legit website for fonts?

Looking for obelix font - this is the only website after searching that has it.

Does anyone know if the site is legit?

Font Meme: Fonts & Typography Resource

3 Comments
2024/03/22
02:57 UTC

2

Fonts2U take down request

Has anyone here dealt with Fonts2U? They've started listing many of my typefaces which they downloaded from my portfolio website and are now distributing them without my consent. I have tried reaching out to them via email and Facebook but have received no reply. Does anyone know of a way to connect with them and communicate a take down notice?

8 Comments
2024/03/21
18:13 UTC

1

Space Grotesk Font Pairing

Hi reddit! I need your help.

I’m working on a branding project for a web design/webflow agency focusing on helping startups to create and grow their websites, and we decided to go with Space Grotesk as the primary font.

We were thinking to stay with the same font for the body text, but since we will have a blog page with a lot of posts containing large amounts of text, I’ve found it kinda ugly and hard to read.

Any suggestions what google font/free font we can use for the body text?

What do you think about inter? Any alternatives?

0 Comments
2024/03/21
18:11 UTC

1

Gilroy Font Alternative with simpler Licensing?

Does anyone know a font similar to Gilroy which has a way simpler licensing model?

Gilroy would cost us initially €3.677,85 and with an annual fee of €3.526,71. We don't even have that much traffic, it's just the cheapest licensing option for digital ads, app use and desktop/webfont.

I don't mind paying, but I would rather pay a one time fee instead of a subscription.

5 Comments
2024/03/21
15:11 UTC

1

Imagery to Enhance Quote

I need an image to set the following quote with: “In youth men are apt to write more wisely than they really know or feel; and the remainder of life may not be idly spent in realizing and convincing themselves of the wisdom which they uttered long ago."

Something focusing on the theme of aging maybe?

Thank you!

0 Comments
2024/03/21
14:09 UTC

1

fonts that support the berber alphabet?

fonts that support the berber alphabet?

1 Comment
2024/03/21
13:08 UTC

70

Mango Grotesque

11 Comments
2024/03/21
02:09 UTC

0

Hi! I created that artwork and I want it to be a "fan version" of the album cover for Lil Tracy's "Designer Talk 2". May I know which font will work for it in your opinion?

0 Comments
2024/03/20
22:45 UTC

2

Recoleta Pair

Hi all,

I'm designing my wedding invitations and looking for a script font that pairs well with recoleta for a 70s-vintagey vibe. Closest I've found is Jimmy Script. Any recommendations are appreciated!

1 Comment
2024/03/20
20:44 UTC

1

Is there a set of OpenType feature benchmarks?

In my efforts to create an OpenType parser and implementation for use in PDF documents (madness, I know), I find that I do not speak enough languages/write in enough scripts to be able to test all of the GSUB and GPOS Lookup types, as I don't know enough canonical examples.

Does anyone know of a good document or blog post anywhere that contains a list of font/Unicode-codepoint-sequences/resulting-image triplets, or similar, that can be used to benchmark/test if an OpenType implementation is working correctly?

If not, does anyone here know enough about it to suggest some examples that could test the various tables? I was thinking the Noto fonts could be used as a benchmark to compare against (OpenType features, open license, many languages, etc.). Then if anyone could suggest some Unicode sequences for, say, Arabic (for substitutions, ligature mark attachment, etc.), Urdu (for cursive attachment), and any others that come to mind, I can compare against the appropriate Noto font in a well-featured program (Microsoft Word, maybe?) and see how my implementation is doing.

Ideally I'd love a complete set of benchmarks, for each Lookup type and format, but maybe that's a bit much to ask! For now, examples of mark attachment (mark-to-base, mark-to-mark, mark-to-ligature) and cursive attachment would be great, if you can think of some!

Many thanks in advance.

P.S. Does anyone understand the

the text-processing client must look backward in the glyph string from the mark to the preceding base glyph

from the OpenType documentation (GPOS Lookup Type 4). I am lost. Just look for the first non-ignored glyph? Keep going until you find one? This is not clear at all.

3 Comments
2024/03/20
18:15 UTC

0

Trying to learn and write a new font but i am not able to. Well....kinda

So im trying to learn writing the font "JP Hand Slanted" because i wanna make it my main font but i cant because i cant remember how the letters look like if you know what i mean because i keep thinking about the "Normal" letters and i cant seem to make the loop on some letters i just want to get help on how to write them and how to remember the letters on how they look like

2 Comments
2024/03/20
16:41 UTC

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