Introduction to Modern Type Design (Scholarship)

This section of Introduction to Modern Type Design is offered free of cost to provide greater access to education in the field. Members of all groups traditionally underrepresented and/or excluded from the type design industry are encouraged to apply, but we will be giving priority to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). Apply below by Tuesday, July 21.

This 10-week course, meeting on Tuesday evenings, is an introduction to the techniques and processes used in professional type design. Students will create their own original typefaces as they gain an understanding of the methodologies and software used to produce high-quality digital type.

The primary goal of this course is to show how to think about type systematically and successfully structure the type design process. The course will focus on techniques and best practices for designing and spacing type, but will also introduce students to the conceptual foundations of type design, Python programming in RoboFont, and the structure of type families.

This course is suitable for designers just starting to think about type and for designers with some type design experience hoping to develop their skills and processes. Some experience with drawing Bézier curves (in Adobe Illustrator, for instance) and with typography is recommended but not required. This is a great course for anyone interested in applying to the Type West Postgraduate Certificate Program in Type Design.

Students will work on their own laptops, which must be running Mac OS X 10.10 or higher. (We recognize that this is a barrier to entry. While we don't have a solution currently, we want to hear from you if you would take this class but cannot because of the computer requirement.)

A free temporary license for RoboFont will be made available to all participants.

Required Materials

• Laptop running Mac OS X 10.10 or higher
• Adobe InDesign
• Paper for sketching
• Black pen or marker for sketching
• A 5mm or 6mm flat-tipped calligraphy marker
• A brush-tipped marker

Note: This special online workshop is capped at eight students to allow for more one-on-one instruction.

Apply

Apply by Tuesday, July 21. In fewer than 300 words, tell us your story, describe your experience with type, and let us know why you would like to take this class.