Another one: Storm Type Foundry, whose many typefaces include one 'suitable for texts [by] drunkards and dubious persons.' posted by misteraitch at 2:21 PM on September 30, 2010
Did anyone do that handwriting to font thing that was posted? I can't find the link. I don't think I ever sent it in, but if anyone did and would like to share theirs, I would be interested in chatting. posted by parmanparman at 2:24 PM on September 30, 2010
Typodermic (Ray Larabie's foundry) has "Value Packs," which I recommend to design students or professionals who want to make a one-time investment that helps them break out of the mold in their communications. posted by circular at 2:46 PM on September 30, 2010
How do designers deal with the complete overload of fonts (sorry, typefaces) available? Doesn't it just make you more crazy that you could have fond a better face out there somewhere? posted by GuyZero at 2:50 PM on September 30, 2010
"Type Foundry".
I'm going to start referring to where I work as a "Science Barn". Because of all the great discoveries that were made in barns, in previous centuries. posted by gurple at 2:56 PM on September 30, 2010 [6 favorites]
>Doesn't it just make you more crazy that you could have fond a better face out there somewhere?
Most of the crazy should have been absorbed by the designer's feel for appropriateness. A layperson might see five similar script fonts and say "ack! Overwhelming!" but an experienced designer will usually see the five, size up their weaknesses and strengths, and pick the one that best fits their trajectory.
And if they can live with that, great. But sometimes the designer will just decide to create their own lettering to suit the need, or even commission a new font.
Jessica Hische is a good example of a designer who creates a lot from scratch, even though she does have her own favorite third-party typefaces. posted by circular at 2:56 PM on September 30, 2010
Mefites love type foundries
Nope - I want 'em all in my OS, for free... Or at least with an "App-store" like mechanism for paying and distributing them as transparently as possible.
(Of course - I am not a designer...) posted by jkaczor at 3:38 PM on September 30, 2010
Man, it would be nice if fonts were reasonably priced. posted by sonic meat machine at 4:32 PM on September 30, 2010
Gotta give it up for Dutch Type Library, the Bugatti of type foundries. It'll set you back a few, though. posted by arbor day at 7:22 PM on September 30, 2010
I particularly like Font Diner for all my retro needs. And in spite all efforts to the contrary I do have retro needs. posted by bfootdav at 9:45 PM on September 30, 2010
Incurable typenerd here. HF+J (link) are pretty amazing but I feel their amazingness is becoming so popular that it's difficult to justify purchasing their faces when it seems like everybody is using them. Obama used Gotham in his campaign media and now it seems like its EVERYWHERE. Also, I used to love their Archer face until it started showing up in my junkmail.
I also really like PampaType and am trying to figure out how to justify (to my wife) buying their Borges typeface...which is one of my favorite text faces with some really nice display options and a refreshing chancery. posted by jnrussell at 10:04 PM on September 30, 2010
Man, it would be nice if fonts were reasonably priced.
The economics of fonts are those of designer clothing/furniture. You pay for the design and the execution, and the top designers fetch a premium. (If you want to set your text in Gotham or FF Meta, it'll cost you, but one thing you're paying for is not looking like every Verdana-attired shlub.)
Having said that, I imagine prices will fall in time. Font-making tools are still expensive, though affordable by those interested, and more people are making fonts. Having said that, there have been free fonts for a decade or two (since people started tinkering with Fontographer, certainly), and most of them have been of dubious quality at best (uneven curves, optically unbalanced, to say nothing of spacing and kerning). Though, with more awareness of typography, the standards of amateur type design are improving. Also, FontShop's FontStruct more or less cannibalised the market for geometric typefaces.
Though some prices are outlandish; case in point: New Rail Alphabet. £1,000 for a set of fonts barely distinguishable from Helvetica... posted by acb at 3:23 AM on October 1, 2010
Mefites love type foundries.
I, a Mefite by day, am more or less indifferent about type foundries. Type is nice though. posted by kingbenny at 6:20 AM on October 1, 2010
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