Create a text font in FontLab

Font design is a great tool for your creative arsenal. New typefaces are increasingly popular these days, and it seems just about every graphic designer is having a crack at making one.

In this project, I'll unveil the inner workings of two of our font families, each designed for setting large amounts of text. All typefaces are intricate systems of interchangeable parts: black shapes and the white spaces that separate them. Type designers determine the size, thickness, stress and direction of these shapes. In text font design, achieving an even colour and steady rhythm is paramount; any items that get in the way should be removed.

To illustrate the type design process, I have chosen the new Ysobel and Neue Frutiger fonts. Ysobel is a serif family created primarily for newspaper setting by Monotype Imaging, while Neue Frutiger is an improvement on the classic Frutiger sans serif family from Monotype Imaging's German subsidiary, Linotype GmbH.

Click here to download the tutorial for free

Check out this fantastic selection of free fonts