New Blackletter Font
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

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| OrbeSample.pdf | 52.01 KB |















10.Feb.2008 10.37am
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.
10.Feb.2008 11.02am
I like the overall feel of the letters - nice work - would make a great type to use on a brandy bottle.
10.Feb.2008 12.59pm
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.
10.Feb.2008 1.52pm
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’
11.Feb.2008 11.40am
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?
11.Feb.2008 11.50am
I second what Tiff said!
12.Feb.2008 4.57pm
Let me be the latest congratulations. Great for chapter initials!
13.Feb.2008 3.13pm
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.
13.Feb.2008 4.04pm
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!
13.Feb.2008 5.38pm
I really think that the thin stroke on the E leads to a drop in readability.
14.Feb.2008 1.17pm
Scott, i think you are right about the E. what do you think about this one?
14.Feb.2008 4.39pm
Good point. I think it is improved because of that.
14.Feb.2008 5.44pm
we loves it! can we please have a lower case: a really tall one?
14.Feb.2008 6.10pm
Ooh. What about unicase? OTT?
14.Feb.2008 7.50pm
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.
15.Feb.2008 4.32am
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:)
15.Feb.2008 1.07pm
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.
15.Feb.2008 2.08pm
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.
15.Feb.2008 2.20pm
Like this?
15.Feb.2008 7.00pm
I like that second E on “exec”. It reads more like an E, I have to redraw one based on this.
15.Feb.2008 7.10pm
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.
15.Feb.2008 7.36pm
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.
17.Feb.2008 5.20pm
beautiful! love it!
18.Feb.2008 5.22am
This beautiful piece of work needs a name. :)
David Thometz
18.Feb.2008 11.21am
I really like it. Only one comment. I wonder if in some context, the F might be looked like a P?
18.Feb.2008 1.56pm
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.
20.Feb.2008 10.42am
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
20.Feb.2008 10.55am
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.
20.Feb.2008 3.45pm
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:)
20.Feb.2008 4.46pm
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?
21.Feb.2008 2.22am
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.
21.Feb.2008 8.35am
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.
22.Feb.2008 7.54am
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.
22.Feb.2008 8.14am
Hmmm interesting. Yes, maybe so. I think if the base serif was extended to the right slightly that would cover it.
22.Feb.2008 8.05pm
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
6.Mar.2008 6.41am
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
7.Mar.2008 3.05pm
I like it. Well done.
10.Mar.2008 3.36am
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.
10.Mar.2008 12.46pm
Can you say how it will be released?
10.Mar.2008 2.31pm
Do you mean the format? It will be out in OTF.
I have uploaded a pdf at the top.
10.Mar.2008 2.37pm
No, I meant will you release it yourself? Or will you go with a foundry?
10.Mar.2008 2.43pm
Doh! I see now! You will release it from your foundry! Here:
http://www.r-typography.com/
10.Mar.2008 3.01pm
yes. Since this is just one weight. I’ll just put it on my site and sell it through MyFonts.
14.Mar.2008 5.35am
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
20.Mar.2008 5.39am
André thats cool, it would look nice. Maybe
I have to deal with its release first. Thanks:)
Ps.: nem verde nem vermelho, mais azul:)
21.Mar.2008 5.25am
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
22.Mar.2008 8.44am
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.
26.Mar.2008 10.25am
Woah, that’s nice. :)
We’ll probably see this typeface in use, like on bookjackets and movieposters.
26.Mar.2008 10.32am
Like a new Trajan? That’s a nice thought.
26.Mar.2008 3.45pm
Lol, no not like that. I meant it as something positive. :P
26.Mar.2008 6.21pm
Having your font used as much as Trajan would have to be just fine though - no?
I don’t think that’s likely given the centrality of the Trajan forms to western/latin letterforms.
But on the other hand I have never seen a font in this category that has this kind of strong charisma.
26.Mar.2008 8.46pm
Yeah, I guess it would be positive in that sense. But you’re right that it isn’t as widely applicable as Trajan is, because of the forms.
But for films and books that are set in the historic ara where this kind of calligraphy was used, this typeface would look pretty good and fit well. :)
26.Mar.2008 9.37pm
I think like blackletter - it could even range beyond that.
4.May.2008 5.51pm
I’m just curious why this is headed as a Blackletter font. Having come from more of a calligraphy background as opposed to Typography, I immediately thought of the style as Versals, though they are often seen Historically with Blackletter as headings. I noticed that uncials are often categorized with blackletters as well. Is this just a type thing. I know the word Gothic in both type and lettering has several different meanings.
Stephen Rapp
5.May.2008 4.50am
Lovely font, but the word IN is almost identical to the letter M. I suppose this may be true of other fonts as well?
5.May.2008 8.49pm
Vladamir makes a good point. Although by now that too may be fixed. I hope so!