Hand lettering is huge these days, and is inspiring many designers to add hand-lettering to their skill sets. With the explosion of the sharing economy, designers are learning from each other.

Hand-letterers craft letters using mark-making tools for a specific application or use. What’s the best way to get started or level up in lettering? These six up and coming hand-lettering artists use their skill to create artwork that evokes meaning and expression. Get their best advice on how to improve your own skills.

The Details Matter

Lettering Artist - Joseph - 1 Joseph Alessio is a typographic illustrator based in San Francisco who blends type, letters and animates a host of mixed media in typographic compositions. Joseph’s approach with spatial relationships in type and motion is unique. He loves that part of the process in the middle, when you feel like you can experiment and play and discover – “that’s to me the most exciting and fulfilling part.”

Joseph recommends any of Doyald Young’s books as resources for new letterers. “He has an impeccable sense of composition and spatial relationships, how to handle flourishes, etc, and you can learn so much by studying his sketches.” He also recommends for understanding the nuance of letterforms is Designing Type by Karen Cheng. “It’s ironically not about actually designing type, but rather examines in great detail the minutiae of stroke weights, optical adjustments and balancing, character dimensions etc., and was really eye-opening for me as to how quality letterforms, especially within the context of working with other letterforms, are crafted.”

Find Joseph on Instagram, Twitter or his website.

The Fundamentals

Lettering Artist - Colin - 1
Colin Tierney runs Tierney Studio, a Baltimore-based design studio that specializes in hand lettering, calligraphy and branding. To Colin, details that no one might ever notice are integral to the final design. His favorite part of the process is the initial pen to paper phase when he’s hashing out all of his ideas—the good and the bad.

Colin loves throwing on some headphones and listening to music. Music is a passion of his that isn’t directly related to design, so it’s easy to get away from the work and find another source of inspiration through a different kind of love. He recommends to aspiring calligraphers and hand lettering artists his Crayligraphy series. “I go deep into teaching the fundamentals of calligraphy with a Crayola marker. These lessons are perfect for beginners because Crayolas are cheap, accessible and easier to write with.”

Find Colin on Instagram, Twitter and Dribble.

Push Your Craft

Lettering Artist - Erick - 1
Erick Ortega is a freelance illustrator and lettering artist from Cali, Colombia. The tactile quality of his handmade artwork is one of his trade marks and he enjoys most inking the artwork and finalizing the piece as a digital file. He’s inspired by books, movies, pop culture, but by far, music is his biggest inspiration in many ways. “Being an independent artist is about doing it all yourself and making things happen. Making yourself from scratch and keep pushing your craft to where you want to be next.”

Erick recommends picking up a copy of In Progress by Jessica Hische for both rookies and seasoned designers for information on lettering as a craft, and as a business.

Check out Erick on Behance, Instagram and Twitter.

Get the Lettering Bible

Lettering Artist - Jason - 1 Jason Carne, a freelance graphic designer who letters and designs type in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, specializes in decorative, ornamental lettering. He is heavily inspired by the past, and constantly looking at old packaging, decades-old photos of signage from decades or centuries ago, and vintage record covers. He admits, “I feel like there was a stronger connection to ones craft in 1916 than there is in 2016, there was a desire to make sure something stood the test of time.”

Jason recommends a couple of books for lettering students, the first being Leslie Cabarga’s Logo, Font and Lettering Bible. “Beyond the gorgeous specimens included within its pages, it has tons of insight and secrets from some of the best lettering artists of the past few generations. A close second I’d recommend would be any Speedball book you can find, the most easily attainable being the recently published 100th anniversary edition including original works from Ross F. George (the artists behind the original Speedball books) as well as many modern masters.”

See more of Jason’s work on Dribble, Behance and Instagram.

Let the World Inspire You

Lettering Artist - Danielle - 1 Danielle Evans is an object lettering artist, art director, and animator from Columbus, Ohio. She uses objects and food to create her lettering, and rather than chose mediums for color or trendiness, she crafts the materials and forms around a concept. She loves finding the correct energy in her strokes or stumbling across a new technique as well as the styling process. To get inspired, Danielle’s recommendation would be to go outside.

She also attests to one of the most useful books she’s read, which isn’t about lettering at all. “The $100 Startup by Chris Gillebeau was a fantastic reminder that gorgeous letterforms don’t spring from the best reference books, supplies, a fancy studio space, or the most renown peer group,” Danielle remarks. “The book profiles several creatives struggling to actualize their dreams who modestly and resourcefully generate profitable businesses out of small investments. After finishing, I remember realizing my lettering deserved proper investment of my skills, time, and financial backing if it was to flourish.”

Follow Danielle on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

Start on a Letraset Quest

Lettering Artist - Alex - 1 Alex Savakis, a designer and illustrator from Concord, California, deconstructs letters to create new expressions of their forms. He finds the work of fellow lettering artists and calligraphers inspirational, including the American Greetings lettering team with whom he trained with. He says, “Their enthusiasm, spirit and grit inspire me to make something everyday.”

Lettering Artist - Alex - 2

Lettering Artist - Alex - 3 For those learning to letter, Alex recommends finding a Letraset catalog from the 80s. “The catalog was a couple of inches thick, spiral-bound and loaded with typefaces. If a copy is available at a used bookstore, grab it! Also, look online at the lettering work that excites you, deconstruct it to see how it was created, then recreate it in your hand or style. Developing your style will take time, more than you might expect. Keep at it.”

Follow Alex on Instagram, his blog and his website.

Want to find out more about inspiring artists and designer who are leading the way in type and typography? Follow us on Crowdcast. If you’d like to learn more about what we do, visit us at type-ed.com.

Rachel Elnar is a co-founder and producer at TypeEd, where she helps designers implement better typography, efficiently.

Perhaps you’re working full-time and the idea of a more flexible work schedule sounds like the perfect antidote to your corporate routine. Or maybe, as a freelancer, you’ve struggled to find paying gigs and a steady paycheck would be a welcome relief. Whatever your situation, reviewing both options can help. I’ve been through this analysis in my own career and here’s a few things I learned along the way.¹

Tax impact

When I left my full-time job to go independent, the idea of making a much higher hourly rate as a consultant sounded pretty sweet. Then tax season came around and I found out that independent contractors (those getting paid on a 1099 basis²) actually pay higher taxes than employees who get a W-2 at the end of the year. If you are a 1099 worker, not only will you have to pay personal income tax, but you will pay double the Social Security and Medicare taxes over what your fully employed friends pay (a portion of this extra tax is deductible on your annual return). As an independent 1099 contractor, you are both the employee and the employer and have the privilege of paying both portions. For a side by side estimate of the tax impact, see the table below.

A related tax issue is whether you prefer to pay your taxes quarterly (1099 workers need to do this) or have your taxes deducted from your pay regularly. The advantage of quarterly taxes is you have the use of the cash you would have otherwise paid in taxes for 3 months. But writing that big quarterly check can be painful, especially if you’re not good at saving.

Freelancer-vs-employee-income-table

Benefits

At most companies, the cost of employee benefits can be 25-40% of employees’ base salary. Of course not every company-paid benefit is one you’d want to pay for yourself, so consider which are essential and those that are only nice to have. The table above includes an estimate for three common benefits. As you can see, with taxes, benefits and business expenses, you do need a higher hourly rate as a freelancer than as a full-time employee to have the same financial buying power.

Medical coverage: If you are currently on a company-sponsored insurance plan and you resign, you have the option of maintaining it through COBRA³ (your company’s HR team can give you the cost for this) or you can sign up for an individual plan. State or federal insurance exchanges (via the Affordable Care Act) are a good way to estimate the cost of an individual plan.

Other insurance: Do you want dental, vision, life, or disability insurance? Each is available at a price. Disability insurance can be difficult to get unless you can show a stable stream of income.

Retirement accounts: One advantage of being a freelancer is that you may be able to save significantly more per year in a tax advantaged retirement account. There are many flavors of IRAs, Roth IRAs, and individual 401ks. It’s best to talk to a tax advisor to understand the options and the advantages they may have over an employer sponsored 401k. Of course, employer based 401ks often come with a company match which will likely be missing from your individual plan.

Time off: Paid vacation, holidays and sick time are typically not something freelancers can expect. In a few cities even clients of independent contractors need to provide paid sick time (dependent on hours worked), but in most cases freelancers have to fund their own time off.

Business expenses

As a freelancer, you’ll have to pay for a lot of things that employers typically provide like equipment, office supplies and Wi-Fi. But if you’re independent, you have the freedom to choose the business expenses you want and they’re typically tax deductible.

Finding work

Oh yeah… there’s that. When you’re independent, you have to actually build a business. This was probably the biggest sticking point for me when I went out on my own. I loved doing the work and I was good at it. But potential clients couldn’t always find me and often didn’t realize what I could do for them. It’s hard work to figure out a marketing strategy and to sell yourself and your capabilities… something that would cause me to break out in a cold sweat if I thought too much about it. Independent contractors I’ve spoken with said that they spend 30-50% of their time networking and marketing. This challenge of finding work is why staffing firms like Creative Circle have so many talented freelancers on our roster.

And word to the wise, if you’re getting paid by the project and not by the hour, it’s easy to underestimate how long a project will take to complete. I was always tweaking and improving upon my work. Great for the client. Not so great for my bottom line. If you’re getting paid by the project, the fee you negotiate is typically the fee you get regardless of how much time it takes.

Being part of a team

The other aspect of being independent that I sometimes found difficult is that I would often go for several days without seeing anyone I worked with. For some, this might be a blessing, but I enjoy being part of a team. Yes, I’d often go into client offices and sometimes even work out of them for several weeks at a time. But even then you’re usually viewed as being an outsider. And often I’d be at home, working by myself and communicating remotely. If working with others is important to you, then being an internal employee may be more attractive. And if you’re a freelancer with a social mindset, look for longer term projects that include working in client offices or on client teams.

Flexibility

I saved the best benefit of being freelance for last. Yes, it is great to roll out of bed and begin work in your jammies while waking up to your first cup of morning coffee. It’s also awesome to take as many days off as you want (unpaid though they may be) and it’s incredibly satisfying to take an afternoon off to go on a hike only to come home and pick up where you left off because you feel so inspired. When you’re independent, you can work when you want, often where you want, and in the way you want. There can be more time for hobbies, family, fitness, travel or starting the next great American novel. Understandably, this is the main draw of going freelance.

The bottom line

Freedom vs. stability, independence vs. team affiliation, paid benefits vs. personal control… these are all options that will weigh differently for everyone. And no choice is forever. Your needs, interests and goals will change over time. Fortunately, with today’s technology, economy and workplace realities, opportunities to move between full-time and freelance can be fairly seamless, provided the work and jobs are available. Employers, especially those within the creative, digital, and marketing worlds, are generally understanding about candidates who make these transitions (unless they happen too frequently). And working on multiple independent assignments can strengthen your portfolio or resume by giving you a greater variety of projects to work on then you would typically get working for only one employer. This can help you land even better full-time jobs in the future.

—

[1]The information in this article focuses on a clear 1099 vs W-2 choice. Individuals who work through staffing firms (including Creative Circle) often have a blend of both worlds, being a W-2 employee of the staffing agency for the work they do through them and a 1099 employee for any independent work they do for their own clients.
[2] 1099 and W-2 are the terms used by the IRS to describe the forms you receive at the end of each tax year that companies use to report what they paid you. If you’re an employee, they send you a W-2 form and if you’re an independent contractor, they send you a 1099 form.
[3] COBRA is a law that allows you to keep your company’s medical insurance active after leaving their employment. You will need to pay for both the employer and employee portion of the insurance and it can be quite expensive. You can only keep this COBRA plan for a period of time however (typically 18 months), after which you’ll need to buy an individual plan.
[4] The footnotes below correspond to the letters notated in the ‘Tax impact’ table.
(a) Estimates based on 30-year-old single person (0 dependents).
(b) Estimated taxes are based on a Single and 1 filing status. State taxes are based on CA rates and will vary state to state.
(c) SS tax for W-2 = 6.2% of wages ($118.5k income cap). Medicare tax for W-2 = 1.45% (no cap).
1099 workers pay double (12.4% and 2.9% respectively). A portion for 1099 workers is tax deductible.
(d) 1099: silver plan (CA exchange) w/ $2,250 deductible; W-2: avg employee contribution for gold/platinum plan (per broker).
(e) 1099: lowest level of coverage (eHealth.com); W-2: avg employee contribution for common employer plan (per broker).
(f) Cost of receiving no pay for 2 weeks of vacation and 10 holidays.
(g) Estimate of business expenses (i.e. office supplies, dues, entertainment, travel) – these expenses are tax deductible.

Robin Elledge is Creative Circle’s Chief Administrative Officer. She directs the teams in Human Resources, Training/OD, Real Estate/Facilities and Internal Recruiting.

Hey, here’s my resume. Read it. No really, go on. I’ll wait.

The last time I heard someone scoff at the concept of resumes was just a few weeks ago, over lunch. “Oh come on, who actually reads a resume?” Um, I do. And you probably should too.
The funny thing was that just days prior I’d placed a copy of my own resume in this very person’s hands. I like the guy, and he had no way of knowing what an unexpected pain in the rear it had been to put together five copies of my portfolio on short notice. (First, the realization that my husband had been ignoring his printer’s pleas for new ink cartridges past the point of usability; then the unanticipated time spent driving to Staples and back; and then the friend who tried to help me but ended up mis-ordering all the pages and somehow cutting her hand and getting blood on two of the front pages, setting me back to square one.)

What I mean to say, is that I wasn’t that miffed (it helps that he had been clearly receptive to my performance in said interview), but I was slightly appalled. It was less than six months ago that I was still working as the managing editor of a media company, which included participating in the hiring process. When it came to interns, the decision was typically left up entirely to me.
It was the kind of place that attracts young candidates, so our public calls for entry-level internships would result in mountains of resumes. I’m not going to lie and say I read each and every single one that hit my inbox—a few terrible lines in a cover letter were enough to send many applicants straight to the recycling bin. However, when you’re trying to differentiate the suitability of people who are largely just starting out, most of them don’t have a ton of tangible, finished work to reference, much less a slick, smoothly navigable profile site. Often their educational background is completely relevant to who they are in the present moment. They just haven’t done that much yet. So I actually read their resumes.

At some point in your career, writing your resume can evolve into an editing project. More than two pages is rude, so eventually you have to stop being exhaustive (and stop abusing tiny type sizes) and whittle it down to only the most impressive—a living document tailored by time and situation. Perhaps you remember writing your first resume—I know I do. That’s when all the opposite tricks were called for—furiously bumping up the type size to fill a single page and extracting every ounce of potential material from limited experience.

It’s kind of a great exercise, and frankly it can be a really interesting, not just useful, read. That’s partly because these types of resume writers are telling you everything—not just which schools they attended, but what their extracurricular activities were, or whether they studied abroad. A lot of them are also probably telling you revealing little white lies about what they did very little of (but, you know, they technically did… probably) and perhaps they now wish they’d done more of. They’re calling attention to their weirdest, least relevant work experience to simply reinforce the basic understanding that they’re a warm body who will show up on time and not steal the company laptops. Read as a whole, it’s actually a pretty effective map of a person’s life-experience.
Again, I’m not making the argument that anyone needs to read every resume they get. I’m totally down with the method of doing a quick first round of elimination based on a scan for minimum requirements. Blaze through those mountains. But by the time you get to the point of interviewing a candidate, I feel strongly that you should have read the thing in its entirety, whether you are dealing with entry-level or senior-level candidates (who probably ought to be able to edit a resume with at least some charm, anyway).

It’s not an etiquette thing. I relate to the fact that it can seem like more of a burden than it’s worth. But it’s only two pages (or less, and heavy on the returns and bullet points). It will take a very short time for you to read it, and the time it will save you in return makes for a fantastic ROI. Your conversations with candidates will be more efficient, you’ll be able to make decisions more quickly, and they will lead to better choices. Choices that may even have direct bearing on your own workload.
These are the people you’ll be seeing more days than not, after all. Read their resumes.

Marjorie is a former Creative Circle candidate based in Portland who recently accepted a full-time offer for her dream job. She is a writer/editor and stylist/producer with an emphasis in the design world. If you are interested in working with someone like Marjorie, please contact your nearest Creative Circle office.

No matter if you’re designing a book, a brochure, a web page or even your resume, line lengths can make or break the readability of your page.

It’s really all about the harmonious relationship, or proportion from one element to another that makes design beautiful. And the proportion between page, measure and type size is super important in creating perfect line lengths that create comfortable reading copy.

Proportion is a central principle to architectural theory and the connection between mathematics and art. Well-designed buildings have space, symmetry and proportion that you can experience and feel as you walk through the space. This physicality of proportion ignites the senses while walking through the space.

With hierarchy and proportion in graphic design, readers take cues from the designer on what to read when, in what order, with what speed, in what tone and so on. Think of the designer as the tour guide through ‘spaces’ of content.

Now you might not like numbers or math, but this is not mind-bending rocket science. It’s just a few steps to begin with to help make your page look better. Think about it like this: A triple play in baseball is a rare act, but can be done if the mindset of all the players involved are in sync. Let’s take it play-by-play.

First Play: From the Format to the Grid

Creating proportion in design starts with the format or page size, which determines the grid. For a large format, like a newspaper, you can have 5 or 6 columns and accommodate a lot of content. On a small format, like a medical pamphlet, you might be dealing with a single column.

Our Notebook-Typography Tidbits-grid types
The page size is like the outer walls of a house which determines the structure of the rooms on the inside. The page size will narrow down your grid choices, as will the type of content.

Second Play: From the Grid to the Measure

The Measure is the name given to the width of a body of type, or column. Let’s use the example of an 8″ x 10″ book. It’s small, needs to be easily read, and set for flowing body copy, so I’ll assume it needs a double-column grid. Let’s test that.

The page size is 8″ x 10″, with 8 inches being the horizontal size. Subtracting a margin of 1/2 inch on both sides, and we end up with a body copy area of only 7 inches wide. Seven inches converts to 42 picas (6 picas per inch) across. You know this because you have that Conversion Chart in your hand.

Third Play: From the Measure to Type Size

If we lay in 9 points body copy, we end up at 138 characters per line. Too long. So, to calculate the type size based on the size of the 42 pica measure, we’ll split that value in half to start. The measure, on average is 1.5 to 2 times the type size. That means if we stay with our single column, our type size is going to be between 21 to 28 points. Whoa, that’s too big for body copy.

138 characters across per line, as indicated by the Info palette, is too difficult to read.

If we divide the measure into two columns, each column will only be 21 picas, or less with alleys, let’s say 19 picas. If so, we can set our type size between at 9.5 and 12.5, depending on the typeface. Use your info palette in InDesign to check the character count, and aim between 50 and 70 characters. A trained eye will make the final call on the correct size and weight for the page.

66 characters across per line, that’s in the sweet spot.

If you prefer to see it in action, you can view some of basics of line length calculation process in this video.

This formula saves a lot of time in guesswork, right? It has saved me tons of time. Just knowing the size of the book, report or page has allowed me to be able to estimate print prices on the spot for clients. Based on the format size, I know how many words will copyfit onto the page, and how many pages are needed and figure out a rough production budget for printing.

The format helps us decide on the grid and dictates the measure size. The measure size helps determine the body copy size. They all work together to score a home run for your design career.

We didn’t even address leading, margins, hierarchy, etc. But it’s okay, because now calculating line lengths and creating proportion on the page is now in your strike zone.

Did you try this formula out? Let me know on Twitter at @TypeEd. If you’d like to learn more, visit our blog at type-ed.com.

Michael Stinson is a co-founder and instructor at TypeEd, where he helps designers implement better typography, efficiently. Get more typography in your inbox when you sign up for more updates about TypeEd.

Matthew is a designer and Creative Circle candidate with 1+ years of experience working in Portland. Matthew is highly involved in the creative process and can have his hands in creating a branding identity for a brand. He designs mobile apps, teaming with a developer on functionality and user ease derived from UX research, and is experienced in designing web apps and responsive websites. He has designed print ads and packaging as well, while having the ability to art direct video ads.

After providing us an inside look of Portland for Design Week Portland, we caught up with Matthew again to hear more about how he lives creative.

Finding Creative Inspiration in Portland

One of the main ways that I’m continually reminded of Portland’s uniqueness is when I’m out and about; either headed to the studio or meeting a client. In each of the neighborhoods I encounter on a daily basis, either for work or play, there are residing some of the city’s unique makers and spaces that are guaranteed to inspire creativity or foster creative relationships. I do much of my creative dealings on Portland’s Eastside, due to its more relaxed pace. The Eastside was traditionally the more affordable, residential part of town, but with the exponentially increasing rate of Portland’s expansion, is has become a hub of industry in its own right.

Good Coffee in Buckman is where I love to start things off. They’re an independent group of shops serving the Eastside with a rotating repertoire of coffee and tea offerings. The impeccably minimal interior and walkway-side seating have provided countless beautiful backdrops for meetings with friends and clients.

Local to these Eastside neighborhoods are two open studios of local creatives, which are a great refresher and point of inspiration. The establishments allow space for both appreciation of their own wares, as well as interaction with other patrons and designers who may be visiting.

Joey Roth specializes in household utilities designed to meet specific needs.

Laura Hosgard specializes in lifestyle items. Both creatives have influenced me in incredible ways and are always willing to lend an ear to your current experiences and thoughts.

If I’m ever looking to shop for myself or simply get inspired by the latest in men’s lifestyle, I always stop by Machus. They are tirelessly looking to rotate through some of the best names in establishment and independent designers alike. Even if you’re not looking for something new to wear, it’s impossible to leave without witnessing something creative you haven’t seen before.

On the other side of the river, in what is steadily gaining identity as Portland’s “West End” is what may be a familiar sight for many.

Although the lobby of the Ace Hotel and its conjoined Stumptown Coffee and Clyde Common have long been a destination of locals and tourists alike, there is a balcony overlooking the entire spread which isn’t advertised at all. It’s tucked away but still in the path of the Ace’s signature natural light, creating an ideal environment to either get work done or host an individual client for brainstorming or review. With so many good cups of coffee and refreshments nearby, it’s hard not to feel good about the Ace as a choice to spend some time.

A wonderful place to retire the day is at Rontoms on East Burnside with a few friends, or even clients! The entire space was the brainchild of both the owner, who collects and restores midcentury furniture, and a local architect who designed the outdoor experience, including an asymmetrical patio roof for rainy days. A perfectly tasteful balance of work and play.

Rachel is a graphic designer, and Creative Circle candidate, with 5+ years of experience working out of Los Angeles and New York. Rachel works from concept to final production working with development teams and vendors. She has designed the UI for mobile and e-commerce websites, branding, email campaigns, banner ads, social media assets, presentation decks, brochures, infographics and other various print collateral.

In a collaboration with Bunch Magazine, the magazine for daring creatives, Rachel gave us an inside look at her life as a graphic designer. Watch the video below and get tips from Rachel on how to live creative.

A Day in the Life of a Graphic Designer

6 Ways to Live Creative and Still Get Your Work Done

1. Create a routine.

Working from home can at times get a bit disorienting. Days can fly past before you realize you’ve been in PJ’s for weeks. A trick that helps for me is getting dressed, and leaving the house in the morning. I usually grab fruit / coffee at the local grocery store. The accountability / structure of getting up and getting moving helps tons to send your brain those “time to work” signals.

2. Take a break.

Its easy to get in the zone and work for hours straight. Plan a break in your work schedule, whether its to go grab lunch, run an errand, or go to the gym — that mid-day break can work wonders for that mental block that’s keeping you from wrapping up a project.

3. Plan your workweek.

Keep a journal. Try and plan out what you’ll be working on for the week ahead. This way you can space projects out over the span of a few days, let it sit, and come back to it– within your deadlines. You’ll also be able to plan in advance which days will be your light days and which days will be all-nighters.

4. Give yourself enough time.

It’s really easy to over-commit. Predicting working hours is one of the toughest challenges for freelancers. Save yourself the headache and always pad in a bit of extra time in your schedule in case the project doesn’t wrap up as quickly as you anticipated. It’s always better to be early on a project (and make a good impression) than to be late on a delivery.

5. Take notes on your projects.

Sometimes a hectic weekend can wipe out all memory of Friday’s work-in-progress. Leave yourself notes about what you’re working on. When working through feedback, checklists are always great because you can see exactly where to pick back up and what you’ve completed already. A lot of times the client’s feedback will be scattered / coming from multiple stakeholders, so a checklist will help to piece together a cohesive plan.

6. Track your hours.

In the rare case that a client challenges you on your hours, or even just has sticker shock, you’ll want to have detailed notes on what you were working on and for how long. Keeping track of this in your journal makes billing / timesheets a breeze. I like to highlight my daily hours in my journal so I can quickly page through and reference the hours worked.
Day-in-the-Life-Computer

If you’re on the quest for a free font, this bit of advice is not for you. A true beauty is worth every penny. You get what you pay for when it comes to purchasing typefaces.

When you are seeking a mate, you need to know who you are and what you want to find a good match. It’s the same with typefaces; you need to know more about the project, and and who it’s for in order to find the ideal partner font. Because once you choose, you’ll be committed to her for the life of the project.

Good designers do more than just “pick a font.” There are other variables in play, such as how to pair well with other typefaces, where to place them in hierarchy for full effectiveness, and how well they work with the visuals on the page. I call the process “typecasting,” similar to casting an actor in a movie. Designers will want to ask themselves these questions about the nature of the project to create seamless storytelling.

1. Who’s the client and who are their clients?

Are they a big beverage brand speaking to consumers, or a small boutique hotel looking for travelers? Is there a large standards guide to follow, or is it a fresh, new campaign? Always begin by gaining an understanding of the nature of your client or campaign, you can begin to narrow down to type classification.

2. What is the project? And what are all the mediums and languages involved?

Will you need screen fonts or desktop fonts? Is the project large enough that you’ll need licensing for multiple mediums? If so, no matter which font family you use, you’ll want to plan to source web font versions for your desktop fonts or vice versa. This may limit the foundries from where you source your typefaces from. Or is it a an international ad campaign where you’ll need some translation? If that’s the case, look at Pro versions or typefaces with additional language support.

3. What’s the concept?

Once you have an idea of classification, begin by writing down all the words you can think of that describe the main idea. Reference imagery to help your brainstorming session. Open it up to related themes if you need more words or you’re designing a few directions. Then sift through and choose the top six that best describes the direction.

For example, if the project is a tabletop bar menu promoting baseball season, I will begin by start looking at type baseball field images. I’ll look at photos of Fenway Park, scoreboards, signage, uniforms. Since we’re talking about America’s game, I’ll Google images of vintage baseball and see if that conjures up nostalgic words for possibly another design direction.

Image of Fenway Park, courtesy of Wikipedia

4. What is the voice & tone of content?

When you read the raw content, you can assess what sort of voice is being spoken. The tone of the writing will give you more clues to the personality of typeface to choose.

I used to give a project in school where my students had to pick a poem and lay it out with type only, across a spread. Typeface choice was critical, because one wouldn’t choose a fancy script for say, a quote by Teddy Roosevelt or Winston Churchill. You’re going to pick something heavy, perhaps set in all caps, to reflect the voice of the speaker.

5. How much content? How will it be read?

How many pages are you going to be typesetting? How much content is involved, and in what form? If the format will be a 6″ x 9″ tabletop menu and the client has over 20 different drinks, you already know that the typeface will be pretty small. And if there’s a lot of reading copy, consider a typeface that has letterform legibility at small sizes.

If you’re working on screen, how will the typeface affect the reading experience on a low-resolution device or moving fast in a movie title treatment? Will the user be reading all the content or just merely scanning?

6. How many levels of content?

Hierarchy works as navigation to lead the reader across the page and to separate the content and indicate context. Assess how much content you have to deal with in the space, and then determine how many levels you’ll need to help you determine the font family needed.

On our baseball drink menu menu, we will only need two levels of hierarchy to separate the name of the drink from the description, and there are many typefaces with only 2 or 3 weights. However, if you are redesigning a magazine, you may need up to 15 or 20 weights and styles, so seek for large families or super families, which narrows your quest considerably.

In order to choose and find the font that works best for your graphic design project, all aspects of the final outcome have to be considered. You need to know what you want in order to be happiest. Just do your due diligence, and you’ll find happiness in a font that fits the project. Don’t worry, letter love is waiting for you.