posted August 08, 2005 03:20 PM
Having 1 of those days where I hate every single font I own, all zillion of them. Hate everything on the font sites too. It's not that I can't find what I'm looking for, cause the only thing I'm looking for is something I don't hate. Guess it is that I can't find what I'm looking for.
Maybe I need to go back to spackling, like I did all weekend. And I thought spending 2 days covered in spackling, looking like I had jerked off the pillsbury dough boy was enough.
Vent over, we return you to your regularly scheduled programming while I go back to searching for a font that doesn't suck.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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The first thing to say is that quantity is not as important as quality when it comes to fonts (or most anything else, now that I think about it).
If you have have that many fonts, I'd lay money that you have many, many, many duplicates, or nearly duplicates.
If not for occasionally needing to duplicate customer's art, we could easily get by very well with a few dozen fonts. A nice cross section of sans serif, serif, script and brush fonts could fullfill just about every situation. You might consider choosing a few hundred fonts and placing everything else on CDs, so that they're there should you need them. If you have that many, you might think about putting different types of fonts on separate CDs...all scripts on one CD, all sans serif on another, etc.
So far as finding the fonts you need WHEN you need them, I sorted all of my fonts several years ago before loading them into my font manager (Extensis Suitcase 10...a Mac program, but there are similar utilities available for Windows.) Below is a screenshot of how my fonts are arranged.
When sorting, I made new folders for the categories that I wanted, then went through my fonts, dumping them in the appropriate folder. Some fonts fit in more than one folder, and in those cases, I put a copy into each folder that fit it's type. About half or more of the fonts I knew where they went and were faster, but the rest I would preview and see where they belonged first.
The whole process took most of a Saturday. But, as I said earlier, I did this years ago ONCE. Now, when I acquire a new font, I just dump it in the appropriate folder. I am VERY happy that I made the sacrifice way back when. It was worth the time and then some!
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted August 08, 2005 06:10 PM
Don't encourage her Si, Dough Boy might end up with a padlock... aaahh I'm going to listen to my better judgement this time and not go there....
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted August 08, 2005 08:06 PM
Don, I am very thankful for your post. I have been wondering how to organize my fonts, and you cleared up the mystery. Kissy, thanks for the rant that prompted Don's response.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted August 08, 2005 10:51 PM
Don, I know I need to do that just keep putting it off for more important things (like jerking off the Pillsbury dough boy, lol). Today, categorizing them wouldn't have helped unless I had a category that was "Fonts I don't hate". If I would have categorized them today, that folder would be empty. lol
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted August 08, 2005 10:57 PM
Fonts you hate either get ****canned or put on a CD, which goes deep in the back of a drawer, in case you ever need it.
I'm not sure why you'd want to keep fonts you hate anyway. Must be a Pennsylvania thing.
posted August 09, 2005 12:07 AM
Chris..I know what you mean..(the original message)
I have a few favourite fonts that I like, just like everyone else, and sometimes I get tired of them. (interestingly though, customers don't know I have used those same fonts on other peoples jobs)
I don't have the talent to "create" a new font myself (I do have the technical aspect covered but the artistic part is debatable!!) but what I find gratifying, to an extent, is "modifying" an existing font to suit what I am working on at the time.
For example, today I did a name/logo on a horse trailer. The name was FOX RIDGE, all upper case. I added a small stylised fox head into the center of the O, extended the right leg of the R and "intertwined" the D and G. Also extended the F and E upward to frame a posterised image of a horse jumping over the name.
Actually, pretty simple stuff to do but it added some "originality" to plain old Times Roman, or whatever it was I started with.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted August 09, 2005 01:42 PM
...The Mike Stevens collection (from SIGN DNA) has all the ones that any signmaker will ever need. They are the BEST! (In my opinion.)
posted August 09, 2005 02:23 PM
I will never look at spackle the same way again -- nor a crescent roll...
My cartoon answer to your question is, unfortunately right now, the property of Signcraft, or I would share it publicly, however Kissy if you zap me an email I'll give you a preview.
bp
-------------------- Bob Parsons 907-258-6283 rparsons@gci.net Posts: 118 | From: Anchorage, AK / USA | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted August 09, 2005 03:47 PM
I'm not touching this thread. I absolutely refuse to lower myself to this sort of sordid humor.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted August 09, 2005 04:43 PM
Hahaha. Ricky, great tag line!
My font hatred of yesterday I liken to those food cravings you get where you're craving something but you have no idea what it is, so you taste a little bit of everything in the house & still can't figure out what you're craving, you just know that whatever it is, you don't have.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Kissymatina: My font hatred of yesterday I liken to those food cravings you get where you're craving something but you have no idea what it is, so you taste a little bit of everything in the house & still can't figure out what you're craving, you just know that whatever it is, you don't have.
That means you're craving a little dough boy.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted August 10, 2005 07:46 AM
Don C., good post on font organizing, i usually print the whole font in upper & lower case,plus the #'s naturally and keep them handy in "some" order when in need to reference for designing. Mostly the "purchased" or occasional "pirated" (occassional ! i like the Sign DNA guy too much ) fonts, "standard" ones we all know their "feel" from experience, except during match-up skill drill's. Gene G.-you are soooo ready for Jill's blowout i can see, sir !
-------------------- mark zilliox mark z signs 8425 pushaw station rd. owings md. 20736 301-855-5407 thezs@earthlink.net http://www.markzsigns.com Posts: 348 | From: maryland | Registered: May 2003
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posted August 10, 2005 06:31 PM
Yeah, thanks, Beth. I remeber seeing that site but I had forgotten about it. There's some fun stuff there!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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