Custom Typeface v.01
I started working on a custom logotype for Decision Laboratory. Its based on the lettering done by mechanical draftsmen in technical drawings, as well as the letter styles found engraved in many of the dice Ive come across. The uniform thickness gives it a machine like quality, and the angles and points help unify it with the logo.
some details…
And its application in names for products…
I think that it fits with (improves) the overall aesthetic of Decision Laboratory, but I would like to know what you all think.
February 13, 2010 at 7:48 pm
i also think it improves the aesthetic. i did like the use of futura previously, but it did get very very vintage feeling. almost to a mocking point. i like these letters. the “E” seems a bit awkward, with the super long upper and lower arms. i’m also not really digging the asymmetry of the “Y.” just my personal preference. i wish i had enough hours in my day to do all the different things you are! very impressive.
February 13, 2010 at 7:54 pm
I really love the shapes of these, they’re a perfect fit for the project.
I’m going to agree with Sarah on both the E and the Y, I think the E looks wonky to me in a way that makes other letters seem as if they’re stretching or imbricating. I don’t think all arms of the E need to be even, but I think the middle one should be a bit shorter. And the Y over-extending the cap height on one side seems disco-ish for some reason. I also think the letters could use a tiny bit of beefing up, maybe not, but maybe a bold version for the logo, to contrast with those thin lines in your logo, or else maybe thinner to compete less with the logo’s line thickness.
as always… impressed.
February 13, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Beautiful, and totally lines up with your reasoning and aesthetic research. A good balance between vintage and modern/Line-to territory.
I agree with Sarah and Grant, that a few of the letterforms feel too wide when you put them in context with the rest. If you can go back and try to keep the widths more consistent (even if it isn’t scientific, use your eye), I think that’ll do the trick.
February 13, 2010 at 8:06 pm
This is awesome. I’m a sucker for the draftsman-looking stuff… they come totally from a draftsman’s point of view rather than a typographer’s. So you end up with some letters being disproportionately wide (like the A’s) and stuff, but they’re always arrived at geometrically. I honestly think you’ve done a great job with this, but I might agree with the E thing. And I’m also not feeling that Y. I like the way the R cuts off angularly so maybe that’s something to carefully bring into a few other letters.
You seem to have pulled this out pretty quickly. Did you just follow a manual for technical drawings or something? Not making any accusations… but either way, maybe a lower case is in order??
February 13, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Great work Chris. I’m going to pick on some other letters.. there is something about the O and the S that isn’t sitting with me quite right. Perhaps your O and your 0 should be different (O being a little rounder). And there is something about the curves of the S that feels unsolved to me, not as natural as the curves in the 8. Would love to see a lowercase set.
February 13, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Nice! I agree with everyone’s comments on asymmetry of the ‘Y’ cap height and the width of the letterforms. Also the ratio of the type to the 8 points star is off. Agree with Grant, a bold version will help. i actually like the futura and no. 4 on the post about trying new typefaces more. i think you did a good job on customizes these letterform too. i’m so impressed on the wheel wiring and you doing this typeface at the same time.
February 13, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Great. This was a first draft, done very quickly (6-8 hrs), and Ive only done the characters seen here. Im going to take all of that advice and put it to action, I agree with it all. I thought the ascending Y might be interesting, as in a person dragging the pen just a little too far… but I see that doesnt work for anyone. It doesnt even really for me anymore. Its easy to get wrapped up in these things and lose your ability to see it clearly.
And to clarify, I did in fact start this by looking at a specific lettering example in a book I borrowed Called “Lettering for Draftsmen, Engineers, and Students” published in 1904. I started by tracing letters, then “cleaning” them up by giving them a similar x height that I felt comfortable with, making some of the shapes more geometric, and making certain letters narrower than original lettering. I also had to make some decisions about where there are hard corners/ points/ rounded edges. Having said that, I dont intend to make a completely unique/ original typeface, just one that is exactly what I feel like I need for the brand. Anyone know anything about making vector art into an actual (typeable) typeface?
February 20, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Capital A and Y look a bit to extended. A little unsure the impact of this custom typeface in making the logo more unique, or whether it projects the idea more any more clearly.
January 2, 2011 at 10:33 pm
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