font geekiness – is it only me?
I do feel very strongly about different typefaces. Some make me recoil in horror, some lead me to purr and stroke.
I am just finishing the illustrations for a rather wonderful book, which I am keeping under my Very Secret Hat for just a little while longer (even though it is AGONY keeping this news to myself).
I’ve hand-drawn lots of the lettering on the cover and inside pages, rather than get them straight ‘out of the box’ digitally, for a few different reasons. Partly because I couldn’t find exactly the fonts I wanted, partly because the wobble of anything done by hand has a softness and warmth that I like, and in the case of a magnificent scene with a megaphone because I simply couldn’t fit in all the words any other way!
The wobble gets more pronounced when I’ve had too much coffee, by the way.
I wonder if other people feel strongly about fonts too – notice packaging and magazine articles, fret over their blog typefaces or their business cards. Or is it all very geeky, very niche?
Finding a typeface that suits a book character’s particular personality is especially important. Are they small and elegant, timid or bold or bumbling?
I don’t have to feel alone in my own home, though, as this weekend one of my daughters has been making these theatrical props, lettering all done free-hand…
and the other has just been baking this unusual batch of biscuits!
Yes! I care passionately about fonts and some put me off the book that I happen to be reading. One of the nicer aspects of a Kindle on my iPad is that I can choose the font! I am not keen on Sans Serif fonts and very much notice things like labels and notices….terribly important! Thanks for this post!
Thanks so much for calling by and sharing your thoughts. I’m glad to hear it matters so much to someone else too.
I don’t have a Kindle or similar but that detail intrigues me – I wonder what you choose, always the same or a smattering of different fonts dependant on your mood or the book?
I’ve heard that Sans Serif is easier on the eye on screen, Serif ditto in print.
Very nteresting stuff…
Ps the hand lettering by your daughter is beautiful!
On her behalf, thank you!
I care. The lettering in my title bar is my writing 🙂
Hello Jax! YES, I guessed – it was one of the first things I noticed, and might even have been one of the initial reasons I subscribed. WE hand-letterers are a special club.
I love fonts and typography, even when I was a child I used to pore over the Letraset displays in the stationery shop. I wish I had time to really work on my blog design to get it just right but there’s a little person in my life who is starting to become interested in letters too and he needs more attention. Love the biscuits and the props!
Your little person and his love of letters is far more important! The window opens up on more time for these things all too soon.
But yes, Letraset – I was a big fan too. There was something very satisfying about rubbing down each letter, but very frustrating when they went wrinkly or broken. Although maybe that imperfection is what I’m harking back to now?
Thank you for leaving comments, I appreciate it very much and love keeping in touch.