posted
Here's the latest font I'm working on. Only this time around, I'd like to get some feedback.
All it consists of for the moment is an uppercase range with some funky alternates floating in the lowercase range. I'd love to get some feedback and maybe even your own suggestions for tweaking this font. My goal is a highly visible, extended roman face that has a little flair but nothing too radical. I've been needing a workhorse font like this for years, something functional to call on in my hour of need, to fit that funky, far-off space just right.
You game? Go to my link to download the first version of this font and tell me what you think. OTF and TTF format included in the zip.
You can email your suggestions or post them here for all to dicker over.
[ October 11, 2011, 02:30 PM: Message edited by: Michael Gene Adkins ]
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I like it with the exception of the R. The right leg seems too far left for my liking.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I think I see what you're saying, Kelly. I might need to get the pencil out on that one, modify the curve somewhat and "skootch" everything a bit farther right. It might actually be tucked in a little bit too tight.
Thanx!!! I get studio-blind quite easily, so I just thought it might be fun to make this one a team-effort!!! I've already gotten a couple of suggestions via email, so thanx to you guys too!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I think its great. For those of us who do a lot of painted work, this will be extra useful. Thanks for generously making your work available, it is appreciated.
-------------------- Jack Wills Studio Design Works 1465 E.Hidalgo Circle Nye Beach / Newport, OR Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
The J. Needs ? Maybe a little curl up like in the Q. But not too much. Good J's are hard to find. Great looking letters
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3814 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6714 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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The tweaking of the R can happen without changing its "character" too much, and the A can be played with to see how it will look. I'm still trying to get in my head what Alicia means about the J, but I think I get it. I agree with her that the uppercase J is so often neglected. A good one is hard to find and hard to design.
In the next day or two I'll be trying to itegrate some of these changes and see which ones work.
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I agree about using the lovely center stroke of the H on the A as well. I wonder about the E, the right top and bottom serifs are so heavy (and the right serif of the F as well). I don't suppose there is any way to lighten them up and remain consistent with the style?
-------------------- Joy Kjer Art On Display Signs 4001 Randolph St Lincoln, NE
"My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot." Posts: 445 | From: 4001 Randolph St. Lincoln, NE | Registered: Jun 2002
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Yes, those fat serifs on the E and F can be lightened up. Those serifs were a struggle, and lighter won't hurt. I'm glad someone brought that up because they were always a bit bulky to me.
What bothers me most, however, is the vertical serif on the C, G and S ... seems they stick up a bit to high past the top of the other letters. I may have to lighten those up a bit too. An extreme example can be found on the uppercase C resting in the lowercase "c" position. It goes down too low. I'd like to split the difference just a little bit.
thanx, Joy!!!! This is helping to clear up my studio-blindness!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I'd like to see an alternative R offered, one with a serif. Like Rick said, it's the coolest letter in the font, but, to me, looks somewhat out of place. If a few alternatives were offered, like A,H,E,F with "squiggly" cross strokes, it would really be cool.
Still glad you asked for feedback?
The tail of the Q could use a "harder" look.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
heck yeah I'm glad ... now I'm just waiting for someone to email me a corel file with the letters already done for me!!! I've been modifying the A with a squiggly and I do have an E and F squiggly in the works that I'll present soon.
Ironically, I've been putting a lot of thought into the Q and that wimpy tail. I will probably have to draw it by hand to get it the way I like it. I hate a wimpy Q.
The real trick is deciding what letters will be alternates and what letters will be the standard keyable characters.
It is also interesting to note that all of the advice so far is right in sync with my thinking. Only two tips, you and Joy's A "squiggly" and Alicia's J suggestion, kinda caught me off-guard.
I just want this font to be functional, kinda cool, and highly legible without having to bold it out too much and lose that hint of class and elegance.
thanx!!!!!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
thanx, George!!! What I might do very soon is post a pic of some of these "squiggly" changes and see how they are working!
Maybe then we can pik winners & losers, standards vs. alternates.
appreciate you guys!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I've gotten quite a bit of good advice so far ... next week I'll release version 2.0 of the font and see what everyone thinks. I may release some pics of the changes first. I'll see how it goes.
And if anyone should feel bold and want to send me a COREL file, and a couple of you have, please save it down to 9.0.
thanx!!!!
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Only 3 letters I'm not real happy with in order of concern is..C..almost a O ..Q .. the tail looks strange ..J .. might need a more of a hook like the C Since all that playing would then hook the S to match C & J. Of course as long as I at it the H cross bar should also be on the A, then really get wild and tilt up the E & F then I might match the tilt with B. P. R. I like the font the way it is but if I'm going custom it those changes I would do painting it 1st, the next change would be angle all the serifs like on the C.E.F.G. etc
posted
Kinda' leaves 'Americana' in the dust, Michael . . .
Nice choice as that font has its glaring stroke weaknesses that seem to largely be addressed here with your new font. Was that the inspiration for this - because it sure seems like it . . .???
I agree with most all the other comments made . . . so optional characters is probably the best way to handle that as the points made do have some validity. Leave it to the designer to decide which to use . . . but within reason (for your sanity!!) . . .
Nice job as always . . .
-------------------- Jay Allen ShawCraft Sign Co. Machesney Park, IL jallen222@aol.com http://www.shawcraft.com/
"The object of the superior man is truth." -Confucius Posts: 1285 | From: Machesney Park, IL, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
As Jay says: >>>>within reason (for your sanity!!) . . .
Craig's being a troublemaker!!! ha!!!
The Q I am not happy with. I've also gotten some corel 9 work from someone who wants a stronger J, so that will be seen in Version.2.0.
Of course all the old versions will be saved and available to download so you'll be able to keep the one you like if I mess it up to your distaste, but ultimately I will have to choose the standard letterforms for the finished face and the rest will fall into the alternate range somewhere.
As for Jay's question on inspiration, I mostly wanted something legible at a distance and was tired of blocks and casuals. I didn't even consider Americana. I looked at Atkinson's Western Roman because fellow font designer James L Stirling said he uses it a LOT!!! and thought it was a good "reader." So I began tweaking that font and tried to just completely "romanize" it, just like good ol' Times Roman and it's many offshoots.
I know this font probably won't set the world on fire, but if it can deliver the goods from a substantial distance away with just a little bit of class thrown in for good measure, then I'll have a true workhorse font that I can be happy with. A good, strong, extended, roman font is always a good thing.
As for that troublemaker, Craig, after V2.0 comes out, I'll be expecting a corel9 file of all the corrections he would like to see!!!! Always room for improvement and alternates.
Or we could do what Bill said and just leave it alone.
and yes, in reply to an email I received, lowercase and numbers will follow the completed Uppercase.
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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