Macromedia Fontographer Training

Macromedia Fonographer Introduction / Intermediate – 2 Days

Drawing In Postscript

• Overview and terminology
• Bézier curves
• Critical points
• Handles and BCPs
• Four rules for drawing a typeface
• The Postscript Interpreter
• Type 1, Type 3 and TrueType formats

Creating A Typeface

• A method of working
• Templates
• Setting up a typeface
• Hinting
• A word about AutoTrace
• Typefaces based on historical models
• Designing a typeface from scratch
• The size of the em-square
• Cap-height
• Thick/thin
• Stress
• Ascender and descender dimensions. x-height
• The design process

Spacing Letters And Lines

• Letter spacing
• Tips on letterspacing
• The space character
• Kerning
• Auto-kern
• Hyphenation and justification

The Serif

• Instructive examples

The Calligraphic Tools

• Hardware and software
• Create a resource file of shapes
• Pen techniques

Strategies In Type Design

• X-Height Numerals
• Fractions
• Creating different weights
• Expanding and condensing type
• Small caps
• PC font conversions
• TrueType to Postscript conversion
• Clean up Paths
• From artwork to font
• Breaking up complex paths
• Swash characters

Type In Context

• Typographic synergy
• The page
• The paragraph
• Serif versus sans serif
• Caps and smallcaps
• Legalities
• Copyright
• The ITC