From the course: Glyphs App Essential Training

Creating characters that share parts - Glyphs App Tutorial

From the course: Glyphs App Essential Training

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Creating characters that share parts

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- [Instructor] Type design is made easier by the fact that many characters share parts. This section covers key components and discusses how they can be reused or used as templates for other letters. Depending on your design, the parts of letters can literally be copied from one glyph to another. In other instances, they can serve as a starting point for adaptations to a new shape. The lowercase i provides the basic lowercase stem for the n, m, and r, and the dot for the j. Extending the i provides the lowercase l, which in turn becomes the stem for the h, the k, the b and the d, and by extension the p, and the q. Building the n from the lowercase i, yields the shoulder shape for the h and with some modification, the m and the u. The branch of the lowercase r can be extracted from the n also, paying special attention to the terminal. Similarly, the j can be extracted from the i, with special attention to the termination of the descender. The f and t will usually share a crossbar height and possibly width. The overhang of the f and the hook of the t will require some attention. Build the lowercase o to be sympathetic to the counter space on the lowercase n. The o will give you the bases for the c and the e. You will be forced to resolve the shape in the extent of your apertures and with the c and e completed, you'll have the basic structure for the bowls of the d, the q, the single story g, the b, and the p. Build your lowercase v, and borrow it's shape for the lowercase y and then move on to the uppercase. The cap i like the lowercase i is a key stem width. Move from the i to the h, taking care with the space between the strokes. Add the crossbar, referencing the lowercase f and t, and increase its height in proportion to the difference between the stem width of the lowercase i and the capital i. Add an arm to make the l and two more to make the capital e, and one less from that to make the f. Note the middle arm of the f is generally slightly lower than the same arm in the e. Reference your arm structure while you're building the capital t. The j requires a design decision for its termination at the bottom, but it's otherwise the same width and structure as the capital i. You can reference the curvature of the j in the curve connection between the two strokes of the u. The left stroke of the u can be heavier than the right, but never the reverse. The y branches grow out of the i stem. Take care locating the height of the crotch and adjusting the counter between the branches; not too wide, not too slender. The k will require consideration for both the manner of the join of the leg and arm and the overall width of the character. Move on to the cap o. Once you've created a balanced form, create the tail for the q. The c and g will follow logically from the curves of the cap o, as will the bowl of the d. Make your capital b with a thoughtful balance between the two bowls. The stem and the top bowl will become the bases for the r and the bottom bowl will become the bases for the cap p, which should be slightly larger than the corresponding shape on both the b and the r. Finally construct your capital a and then invert it to inform the width and angles of your v. Use the v to inform the interior angles of the capital m. When reusing shapes, let your i be your guide. It's tempting to borrow liberally and there is some value in doing so. It does provide rhythm to have repeating shapes but mindlessly reusing shapes can lead to clunkiness and monotony. Making small visual adjustments is the better part of type design and looking carefully is imperative to your growth as a type designer.

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