Exercise: If the face fits 1

Exercise: If the face fits Graphic Design 1 pg: 94

This exercise comes in two parts, the first being to create a sample book of typefaces. Organising the typefaces into:

• Serif for continuous text, and headings
• San-serif for continuous text and headings
• Script fonts
• Decorative fonts
• Fixed width, techno and pixel fonts

Identify which typefaces have bold, italic, black or light fonts.

Oblong sample book page

I took two approaches to this first part of the exercise. The first being to start to create a sample book and the second being to use software to organise the typefaces.

I decided to use the sample book as an opportunity to take the plunge and use InDesign. I have used other packages before like Publisher but a couple of earlier attempts to get to grips with InDesign were not entirely successful. I decided on a landscape format with a very simple design so the typeface could be easily identified and I could feature the different formats.

I learnt a number of things in setting up the sample book:

• How to set up an apply master pages
• How to set the document language
• Turning off hyphenation
• Fill and stroke
• Adjusting typeface and characters
• Locating and adding glyphs
• Using past in place

I’m not convinced I produced the samples as efficiently as I could have but at least I’ve got started.

As an alternative I also signed up to MyFontBook, which allowed me to quickly identify and tag the typefaces on my computer. This is a great way to do the work of the sample book quickly but I’m glad I started with InDesign before I used this.

I can see how useful the sample books might have been in the past and can be helpful as a quick reference guide now; this feels like the start of an on-going process. I have only done two of each form of typeface in my sample book so far but have found the process very good for familiarising myself with InDesign and the typefaces on my computer. It was useful to see the different formats that typefaces come in (reglar, light, bold, italic etc.) and the different tone they can each evoke from fun and informal to serious and formal.

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