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Advanced Typography - Task 3: Type Exploration and Application

 19/11/25 - 12/12/25 (Week 9 - Week 12)

Lim Jia Xuan  0371026

GCD61004 Advanced Typography

Task 3: Type Exploration & Application 

TABLE OF CONTENTS


1.0 LECTURES


2.0 INSTRUCTIONS



3.0 PROPOSAL 

We were required to create slides for our topic proposal for this task. In the proposal, we needed to present three different topic proposals that we intend to propose for the next stage of the project.


Fig. 1.0 Task 3 Proposal Slides (Week 9, 19/11/25)

4.0 PROCESS WORK: FONT CONSTRUCTION

4.1 Research

After my third proposal, which focuses on the movie Wednesday, was approved, I began conducting research on the font used in the film.

(1) The font used in Wednesday is not an official commercial font.
(2) The typography is based on the phrase “Wednesday’s child is full of woe”, which strongly reflects the dark and gothic theme of the movie.

After discovering that the font used in Wednesday is a customised typeface, I proceeded to the next stage of the project, which is the ideation phase.

Fan-created font (Reference Font):

A fan-created font  (Click to be directed to download the reference font) was used as a reference to guide the creation and refinement of the typeface design.

Fig. 2.0 Reference Font(Week 9, 19/11/25)



4.2 Ideation

After conducting basic research on the movie, I became particularly interested in the school featured in the film, Nevermore Academy. As a result, I explored the official Nevermore Academy website and gathered several ideas from its visual style and typography.



Inspiration from Nevermore Academy

Fig. 2.1 Inspirations from nevermore academy (Week 9, 19/11/25)

In this figure, the letterforms that contain middle strokes are designed with a slight angled structure. As shown in the figure, this can be observed in letters such as H, A, P, and R.

After noticing this subtle detail, I incorporated it into my own type design. This feature was not applied to the fan-made font and was not originally included in the customised font used in the movie.


Process Work

Before moving the font into Adobe Illustrator and FontLab, I first drew the letterforms in Procreate. Drawing on the iPad was more convenient for me, as it allowed for easier control and made the tracing process in Adobe Illustrator more efficient.

Measurements:
  • Caps Height: 808 px
  • X- Height: 500 px
  • Baseline: 0 px
  • Descenders: -128px(Not compulsory for uppercase letters, but I applied it to letters with bottom extensions, such as N, V, and W.)

-Uppercase and Lowercase

Fig. 2.1.1 Uppercase and lowercase letters (Week 10, 24/11/25)

After consulting with Mr Vinod, I was given permission not to design lowercase letters, as the reference font uses the same design for both uppercase and lowercase characters. However, when lowercase letters were not included, no characters appeared when typing in lowercase. Therefore, Mr Vinod suggested duplicating the uppercase letter designs and assigning them to the lowercase characters.

-Numbers and punctuations 

Fig. 2.1.2 Numbers and punctuations  (Week 10, 24/11/25)

The numbers and punctuation were created to maintain a consistent gothic feel with the letterforms.


Digitalisation in Adobe Illustrator

-Wire Frame 

Fig. 2.1.3 Overall Wire frame(Week 10, 24/11/25)

-Without Texture and Aligment

I used the Ellipse Tool and line stroke to create the outlines and letterforms, then combined the shapes using the Shape Builder Tool in Adobe Illustrator. After showing Mr. Vinod my digitalized version, he commented that overall design was nice but can make it special by giving it some texture.

Ellipse Tool + Line Stroke (To form a outline) > Create Outline Stroke (Object > Path> Create Outline Stroke) > Shape Builder (To form a letter)

Fig. 2.1.4 Digitalisation without texture (Week 10, 24/11/25)

- Outcome with texture and correct alignment

Fig. 2.1.5  Digitalisation with texture (Week 10, 29/11/25)

The texture was created using the Paintbrush tool with the smoothness set to the lowest, producing a rough, textured effect. Afterward, the texture was highlighted and converted into strokes, then applied using Pathfinder → Minus Front to integrate it into the design.


Digitalisation in FontLab 8

Before starting the digitisation in FontLab, I first configured the measurements and family dimensions, as well as adjusted the preferences to set up guidelines for importing the letterforms.

  • Caps Height: 808 px
  • X- Height: 500 px
  • Baseline: 0 px
  • Descenders: -128px(Not compulsory for uppercase letters, but I applied it on some letters to enhance the consistency for the bottom extensions, such as N, V, and W.)
Fig. 2.1.6  Measurement setting and preference  (Week 11, 6/12/25)

To adjust the side bearings, I referred to the guide provided by Mr. Vinod to ensure consistent spacing between the letters.
Fig. 2.1.7  Side bearing guides (Week 11, 6/12/25)


Side Bearing and Kerning Measurements

Fig. 2.1.8 Screen Grab of FontLab Process (Side bearings & Kerning) (Week 11, 6/12/25)


Fig. 2.1.9 Nevermore regular font preview on FontLab (Week 11, 6/12/25)



4.3 Final Outcome of Font Construction

Final Outcome

Final Type Outcome - Nevermore
Nevermore Typeface Download - Click Here

Fig. 2.2 Nevermore font preview (Week 11, 13/12/25)

Fig. 2.2.1 Nevermore font preview (PDF) (Week 11, 13/12/25)

5.0 PROCESS WORK: FONT PRESENTATION & FONT APPLICATION

5.1 Research
Based on my proposal, my approach was to refine the customised font used in the movie and turn it into an official typeface. Since the proposal is related to a film, I aimed to present the font with a cinematic feel.

5.2 Ideation

Colour Palette
The colour palette was chosen based on the movie’s storyline and characters. Yellow and purple were selected as the iconic colours of Nevermore Academy, as they appear in the students’ uniforms. Black, dark grey, light grey, and whitewere chosen to reflect the main character, Wednesday Addams, and her gothic aesthetic.

Fig. 3.0 Colour Palette (Week 12, 14/12/25)




Font Presentation
While researching different ways to present fonts, I noticed that I preferred presentations that were clean or minimalistic. Therefore, I decided to made a design that's minimalistic, clean and classic style for my own font presentation.

# Font Presentation 1
Fig. 3.1 Reference(left) and Outcome (right) (Week 13, 15/12/25)


# Font Presentation 2 
As mentioned earlier, I aimed to create a cinematic feel for the font presentation. In Font Presentation 2, I applied the idea from Task 1, which involved a “movie-maker” style. Specifically:

  • Key words were highlighted in white with a larger font size.

  • Cast names were emphasised using purple and varied font size.

Activities at Nevermore Academy were highlighted in yellow to distinguish them.

Fig. 3.1.1Final outcome #Font Present 2 (Week 13, 15/12/25)


# Font Presentation 3,4 and 5
For Font Presentation 3,4 and 5, I created them as a series:

  • Presentation 3: Letters

  • Presentation 4: Numbers

  • Presentation 5: Punctuations

    Fig. 3.1.2 Final outcome- Letterform #Font Present 3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

    Fig. 3.1.3 Final outcome- Numberics #Font Present 4(Week 13, 15/12/25)

    Fig. 3.1.4 Final outcome- Punctuations #Font Present 5 (Week 13, 15/12/25)
Font Application
As mentioned earlier, I aimed to create a cinematic feel throughout all of my font applications. The designs were intentionally connected across different mediums, including billboards, vertical flags, movie posters, scenes from the film, and merchandise. This approach ensured a cohesive visual identity that reflected the aesthetic and atmosphere of the movie.

#Font Application 1 (Billboard)
Fig. 3.1.5 Final outcome #Font Application 1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

#Font Application 2 (Vertical Flag)
Fig. 3.1.6 Final outcome #Font Application 2 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

#Font Application 3 (Movie Poster)
Fig. 3.1.7Final outcome #Font Application 3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

#Font Application 4 (Reference)
Fig. 3.1.8 Final outcome #Font Application 4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

#Font Application 5 (Merchandise)
Fig. 3.1.9  Final outcome #Font Application 5 (Week 13, 15/12/25)



5.3 Final Outcome of Font Presentation & Font Application

Final Outcome

Fig. 3.2Final outcome #Font Present 1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.1 Final outcome #Font Present 2(Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.2 Final outcome #Font Present 3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.3 Final outcome #Font Present 4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.4 Final outcome #Font Present 1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.5 Final outcome Font Present in PDF (Week 13, 15/12/25)


Fig. 3.2.5 Final outcome #Font Application 1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)


Fig. 3.2.6 Final outcome #Font Application 1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.7 Final outcome #Font Application 3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.8 Final outcome #Font Application 4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 3.2.9 Final outcome #Font Application 4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)


Fig. 3.2.10 Final outcome Font Application in PDF (Week 13, 15/12/25)




6.0 TASK 3 OUTCOME COMPILATION

- Font(Nevermore) Download Link: Click Here

- Font presentation Final Outcome of Nevermore

   
                          Fig. 4.0 Font presentation Final Outcome of Nevermore in PDF (Week 11, 13/12/25)


- Font Lab screen grab
Fig. 4.1 Font Lab screen grab  (Week 11, 13/12/25)



- Font Presentation 
Fig. 4.1.1 Font Presentation#1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.2 Font Presentation#2(Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.3 Font Presentation#3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.4 Font Presentation#4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.5 Font Presentation#5 (Week 13, 15/12/25)


- Font Application
Fig. 4.1.6 Font Application#1 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.7 Font Application#2 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.8 Font Application#3 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.9 Font Application#4 (Week 13, 15/12/25)

Fig. 4.1.10 Font Application#5 (Week 13, 15/12/25)



- Font Presentation and Application

Fig. 4.1.11 Compilation of Font Presentation and Application (Week 13, 15/12/25)


7.0 FONT TESTER



8.0 FEEDBACK

Week 9
General feedback: All uppercase letters needs to be complete.
Specific feedback:  Check whether the font used for the movie is an actual font. If it’s not, create one or make it work.

Week 10
General feedback: Complete lowercase lettering, numbering ans symbols
Specific feedback: Can make some texture for all the lettering 

Week 11
General feedback: Watch the videos provided to input the letterforms into FontLab.
Specific feedback: Can just design uppercase letters only, no need to do a new design for lowercase.

Week 12
General feedback:   The font presentation should place stronger emphasis on the typeface itself rather than decorative graphics. Graphic elements should support the font, not overpower or distract from it.
Specific feedback: Apply more detailed kerning adjustments, especially for problematic letter combinations (kerning pairs), such as A–V, where uneven spacing is more noticeable.

9.0 REFLECTION

Experience
The past few weeks were extremely challenging, and this task was mentally demanding. The most difficult part was staying consistent and keeping up with the progress, as the workload was very intense. Due to time constraints, I had limited time for font presentation and application, especially since multiple revisions were required throughout the process. Repeatedly refining and particularly adjusting side bearings and kerning was exhausting. However, I did my best to deliver the best outcome possible within the given timeframe. Despite the challenges, the project was still a fun and fulfilling experience. As this serves as the unofficial final task for the subject, it feels bittersweet, as I genuinely enjoyed this module and hope to apply the knowledge gained to future design projects.

Observations
Throughout the task, I found that I became more attentive to identifying details in artworks. For example, subtle features in certain scenes—such as the angled middle strokes in letters like H, A, P, and R—had a significant impact on the overall style of the typeface. I see these details as a kind of hidden surprise intentionally left by the type designer, allowing attentive viewers to discover and appreciate them. When such details are noticed, they create a small moment of delight, reflecting the thoughtful craftsmanship behind the font.

Similarly, in the typeface I created (Nevermore), I intentionally kept the texture subtle rather than highly obvious. This decision was made with the same intention which is to reward viewers who take the time to closely observe the font. For those who truly appreciate the artwork and examine it carefully, the texture becomes a hidden surprise, adding character and depth to the overall experience of using the typeface.


Findings
From this process, I concluded that careful attention to detail, consistent stylistic choices, and thoughtful adaptation of existing fonts are crucial in creating a cohesive and professional typeface. Additionally, integrating the font into various applications such as posters, merchandise, and movie scenes all of this helped reinforce the cinematic aesthetic and strengthened the overall visual identity of the project.

8.0 FURTHER READING

Fig. 5.0 I.D.E.A.S. Computer typographic Basics (Week 13, 15/12/25)


In Computer Typography Basics (2003), David Creamer explores how character formatting—such as font choice, size, weight, and style—directly affects readability and tone. He explains the visual impact of using all caps, small caps, or italics, and how subtle variations like bold or light weights can create hierarchy and emphasis within a block of text. These choices shape the reader’s perception before they even begin reading.
Fig. 5.1The difference in x-height, ascenders and descenders with the same font size of 24pt (Week 13, 15/12/25)


This book helped me significantly in revising how a typeface is constructed, including its structure and details, especially during Task 3.




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