New Blackletter Font

rui abreu
10.Feb.2008 10.08am
rui abreu's picture

hello,

Could you please give me your opinion on this font I'm developing?
Since it has so many diferent details it would really help to have a few comments.

Thanks in advanced

AttachmentSize
Picture 1.jpg228.38 KB

The line going down on the E seems to be a little reader unfriendly, the T seems a little pulled up, I'm not sure about the narrowing on the U, and the V looks like a U.


I like the overall feel of the letters - nice work - would make a great type to use on a brandy bottle.


Great first impression!

XXZ: seem awkward. XZ maybe too narrow. Z needs more diagonal in the spine. I wonder in such a calligraphic font if the Z stress shouldn't be reversed.

UVW: top left, the cut seems a little wide (sagging?).

KR: their toes are looking cramped!

T: look light.


Some lovely pen-like touches to this typeface, would really work well with a good number of alternate swash characters, in the spirit of the extravagant flourish you've given to the 'Q'


Really lovely. The details and the contrast both. I wonder if some of the letters appear awkward because of context. Could you post some word samples?


I second what Tiff said!


Let me be the latest congratulations. Great for chapter initials!


Thank you,

Tiffany I think some of the letters appear a litlte awkward with other letters but i am not sure if it's just me.
Any comment would be very wellcome.

Thanks:)

here goes the sample.


Rul, This is one of those typefaces that is begging for a lot of alternates. I really love it and wonder if a lowercase could ever happen? (Doesn't matter though. Still love it.)

The EX pair is open, but again ... alternate?
Any double letter pair could use an alternate.
The ES pair is a little too open.. Maybe the E needs an alternate? I love the E as it is, but I can see that it needs a sister.

Love this. More! More!


I really think that the thin stroke on the E leads to a drop in readability.


Scott, i think you are right about the E. what do you think about this one?


Good point. I think it is improved because of that.


we loves it! can we please have a lower case: a really tall one?


Ooh. What about unicase? OTT?


I think the New E it is much better. I have an idea bout it though; what if you let the bottom stroke of the E start farther out ( in the middle) and take on that small bulb shape that is on the light stroke now. Then the light stroke might be more like the ones on the arms of the T. I think that would let you keep the idea but let the E read as an E just a little faster/better.

Do you mind if I post a graphic suggestion for the E? Maybe it's a terrible idea...

Also I second what Tiff said about alternatives either coded in to be automatic or just available like swashes. I say this because some pairs are great together like the TA and SU. But TY, and as Tiff pointed out the EX are less so. The potential beauty of this will be greatly enhanced by a lovely consistent fit - using inconsistent forms if needed.


Eben, I don't quite see what you mean. Do you mean making the same termination as the one on the L's bottom stroke?
If you want post it, I would like to see you suggestion. That could work, but I think maybe it will be difficult to coordinate it with the curved strokes (if that is your idea) without making it too complex. but I agree that the E isn't the most legible.

Paul & Tiffany, I already see this font as a unicase, there are already lower cases mixed with upper cases. But I don't want to have descenders or ascenders. I want to keep everything above the baseline and under the caps height. But I could have more lower case alternatives, for intance for the H, A, D.

The ligatures for some pairs are deffenetly nedded, I have to work on them:)


These ideas may be insufficiently calligraphic but the thrust of it in terms of where weight might be added reduced is what I have in mind. In any event if you find it useful feel free to use it in part or whole. Also I tried to make the solutions context driven.


It might look slightly better if you pull out the top drop on the E as far to the right as the bounds of the letter's shape allow.


I like that second E on "exec". It reads more like an E, I have to redraw one based on this.


I like more of the swishes. If it's a decorative face, then decorate. I love it. Very hard to draw a face like this. Anyone can draw a mechanical monoweight face.


Anyone can draw a mechanical monoweight face. If they do it poorly. Doing it well is hard too.
more like an E. Great. I would consider making a few of them though like Tiff said. And don't use my example too precisely. It's pretty poor except maybe to get a general idea across.


beautiful! love it!


This beautiful piece of work needs a name. :)

David Thometz


I really like it. Only one comment. I wonder if in some context, the F might be looked like a P?


It doesn't read as a P to me. I think Andre's point is stall valid enough that I would encourage an alternative Glyph either as the standard or the second.


Bom trabalho :)

- I agree with lots of things said here, but about the "E" I like the alternatives Eben gave you.

- "V" needs to be fixes, not to be confused with a "U"

- And the "F" doesn't seem a P to me


Thank you. Your comments are helping a lot.
I'm not very secure with the F either.
V & W have to be less curved:)

I will upload a new E later today.


hi, again

here are a couple of new E's.

The first one is started with Eben's suggestion, the second could be an alternative E.

I think the first working:)


I think they both work quite well. The only thinbg is that the other letters have a certain lighthearted flipancy about them if that makes sense. These new "E"s seem a bit more quiet or subdued. Do you see what I mean?


Do you mean they are too constrict. I think they need more "gesture" and spontaniousness. I'm not sure i'm going to use the second E though.


Yes the spontanious/gestural aspect captures what I mean. The letters are very lively in general.It would be good if the E fit in with that. It would be cool if there was one that was good for use next to flat letters on the right & one for round shapes and or one for use at the end of a word. The 1st one I made is an example of a possible end of the word design.


I love the forms. Beautiful letters. I dont know if anyone agrees, but I have a feeling there is something awkward about the T. I have a feeling that it somehow slants to the right. may be its just me.


Hmmm interesting. Yes, maybe so. I think if the base serif was extended to the right slightly that would cover it.


Beautiful. I especially love the ampersand (yes, I'm weird that way). I agree with the "E" comments above, but I think your latest post (execution) solves it in the first "E." Very nice work.

--
D Molanphy


Olá Rui,

Very good stuff. Have you tried small caps for it? Just so you know, if one day you need a specimen of it printed, think letterpress.
Also, my thing with type is more a looking for the name then actually of how it looks. Do you have a name for it?

O tipo é fixe pá!

-André


I like it. Well done.


I've called this one Orbe, the portuguese for "orb". A nice poetic name:)
It's getting it released i'll upload a PDF later today.

André, LetterPress would be perfect. Maybe you can help me on this.


Can you say how it will be released?


Do you mean the format? It will be out in OTF.

I have uploaded a pdf at the top.


No, I meant will you release it yourself? Or will you go with a foundry?


Doh! I see now! You will release it from your foundry! Here:

http://www.r-typography.com/


yes. Since this is just one weight. I'll just put it on my site and sell it through MyFonts.


Hi Rui,

Back here. I will do it for you. Cheap for sure, just for the pleasure of seeing it on the paper. Black and red. The design could be like a old book title page.

"Orbe" - cool!

Viva ó Sporting (espero que não sejas encarnado)

Inté

-Andre


André thats cool, it would look nice. Maybe
I have to deal with its release first. Thanks:)

Ps.: nem verde nem vermelho, mais azul:)


Rui, whenever you think is OK we can discuss printed specimens. I guess some sort of 'limited' edition single piece could and would be a interesting approach. You could use it to promote your work and at the same time please the EYES of the world!

Você bem poderia incluir a dragon glyph on the font, hehe...

Cheers


That is a really good one - have you tried sending it in? I daresay this is something the larger type foundries might be interested in.


Woah, that's nice. :)

We'll probably see this typeface in use, like on bookjackets and movieposters.


Like a new Trajan? That's a nice thought.


Lol, no not like that. I meant it as something positive. :P