How do designers approach fonts? Olga Pankova / Skillbox Media explains.

Graduate of the Design Department of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute and a two-year course in Font and Typography at the British Higher School of Art and Design. She currently works in type and graphic design. She is the co-founder of the Byurobookv studio and a teacher at BBE and BoldItalic. She has contributed to typeface development for companies such as Yandex, VKontakte, MTS, MegaFon, Arzamas, and other well-known brands. She is a finalist and winner of prestigious competitions, including D&AD, ADC Awards, Modern Cyrillic, Granshan, Morisawa Type Design Competition, and the Sreda festival. My story of becoming a type designer is typical of many designers. I realized that I aspired to be an outstanding designer, and good design is often a harmonious combination of image and text. This realization prompted me to study typography, as I already had some experience with images: five years of art school and more than six years of higher education prepared me for working with visual elements and color. Now it's time to delve into the world of fonts and letterforms to reach new heights in design.

Choosing a font for graphics is an important aspect of design that influences how information is perceived. The tone and character of a font can significantly change the mood and atmosphere of a project. Designers often select specific fonts based on their goals and target audience. For example, formal fonts are suitable for corporate materials, while more playful and unconventional options can be used in advertising campaigns or for a younger audience. Understanding how fonts interact with other design elements helps create a harmonious and engaging visual design.

Why was it necessary to use this particular Gothic style and something close to it in the design? After all, there were many Gothic styles! I somehow didn’t think about this at all at the beginning of my journey. Image: Demon Press

And on this cover, the author clearly tried to convey a certain handwriting, liveliness and kindness through the letters. Image: Houghton Mifflin / Wikimedia Commons

I enrolled in a font course Design at Britanka. I admit, many aspects were challenging for me. We studied various fonts, their names and authors, and had to instantly identify styles based on individual letters. The course included mastering graphics programs, studying the history of fonts, practicing calligraphy, and analyzing lettering. It was a really challenging, but very exciting experience.

Ilya Ruderman gives our group feedback Photo: Courtesy of Olga Pankova

During the course, we drew letters in a wide variety of ways—and sometimes even carved them, for example, on marble. This is called carving. Photo: courtesy of Olga Pankova.

With each lesson, I delved deeper into the world of fonts, and in my second year, I decided to devote myself entirely to this field. I was drawn to exploring the subtleties, studying the details, and developing my skills in typography. I've learned that continuous learning is essential for a type designer, as the job and industry constantly offer new challenges and require up-to-date knowledge.

This profession appeals to me because of its versatility, as it is suitable for people of all ages. I hope that at 70 years old I will still be drawing letters.

Many graphic designers begin creating their own fonts because they lack the right intonation, weight, or unique style for their projects, such as branding. In one of the courses I took, there was a student whose goal was to design a font for a mathematics book. Most fonts only have a minimal set of mathematical symbols, but she needed the text and mathematical elements to be harmoniously composed, creating an impression of authority and professionalism. I have no information about this classmate's subsequent fate, but I hope she achieved her goal and realized her vision. Font creation is an important aspect of graphic design that can significantly improve visual communication and information perception.

I made this cover for the publishing house "MYTH". Here the letters seem to enter into a dialogue with each other, they are soft and convey the feeling of a friendly conversation about something kind and interesting. Photo: provided by Olga Pankova

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri": the color and font of these silent characters in the film create a sense of trouble and rage. Still: film "Three Billboards" Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Typographers with a particular passion for typesetting and fonts can customize fonts to suit their needs. This can include reducing line weight or contrast, as well as simplifying decorative elements. However, such changes are not always legal, as font copyrights often specify whether changes to outlines are permitted, and more often than not, the answer is no. However, these professionals have an eye for detail and are willing to not only edit fonts to suit their own needs, but also get permission from the authors to make changes.

Check out more:

Font Licenses: A Complete Overview

Fonts play a key role in design and typography, and understanding font licenses is crucial for designers and developers. A font license determines how fonts can be used, distributed, and modified. There are different types of licenses, including commercial, free, and open source. Commercial licenses typically require purchase, while free fonts may have usage restrictions. Open source licenses, such as the SIL Open Font License, allow free use and modification of fonts. When choosing a font, it's important to carefully review the license terms to avoid legal consequences. Understanding font licenses will help you make the right choice and ensure the legality of using fonts in your projects.

A designer specializing in lettering sometimes creates a font based on a logo or unique writing style. While such a specialist may not be experienced in lettering, they strive to maintain the visual integrity of the brand. Initial attempts may not be perfect, but through practice and analysis of one's own mistakes, a high-quality result can be achieved. It is especially important to develop a keen eye for type, which helps create harmonious and professional-looking fonts.

One example of my first clumsy letters Photo: courtesy of Olga Pankova

2013, rally, slogan in my letters Photo: courtesy of Olga Pankova

Modern designers are well aware of the differences between fonts such as Helvetica and Times. It is important to understand that fonts do not appear by chance. Today, there are accessible and intuitive programs, such as Glyphs, that simplify the process of creating your own fonts. With desire and a creative approach, developing a unique font is a achievable task. This process can open up new opportunities for designers and lead to the creation of original typographic solutions.

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How do designers approach fonts? Olga Pankova / Skillbox Media explains.

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