Fonts are an underrated aspect of any website. When thinking about the visual appeal of a website, the fonts are one of the more forgotten bits. We consider things like visual organization, alignment, colors, and a litany of other things but the font makes the website work visually.
Think about it this way: if you are trying to deliver a message but the fonts don’t appeal visually, what is most likely to happen? The visitor will either ignore the message or skim over it because it is not appealing to them in a visual sense. Finding the right fonts, including fonts free for use on the web, is crucial
That is why it is important to know where to go for the right font for the job. But what if you can’t quite find what you are looking for? There’s good news: you can create your own font.
Why would you create your own font?
This might seem like something that is above and beyond, but there are times where you will find yourself without access to the font that suits your website. But there is something worth noting: creating a font is not as simple as clicking a button. It can be time-consuming and technical, so you should be certain that you need a custom font.
It would be worth it to play around with a font creation tool like handwriting converter. This lets you get the feel for creating fonts of your own as well as what you are looking for in a font for your website.
Getting used to the font creation project can teach you important techniques and get you used to using more sophisticated types of software. It couldn’t hurt to give it a shot just to improve your overall skills.
Some of the basics to get started with
There are a litany of basic tools that you should familiarize yourself with if you are looking to create a custom font in your spare time. It is also a great jumping off point as far as becoming more familiar with the ins and outs of font creation.
- PaintFont (Free): This is a service that helps you to transfer your handwriting into fonts on the web.
- FontStruct (Free): Use geometrical shapes to create your own fonts with this service.
- Fontself ($49): This service can be used within the Adobe Illustrator software to convert into text and will soon be compatible with Adobe Photoshop as well.
- Metaflop (Free): By adjusting a simple set of parameters, you can adjust basic fonts to your liking.
Now, on to the actual steps of getting started creating your own fonts.
Outline a design
You can’t be expected to create a successful font when you wing it. With any successful design project, you need an outline with variables. Ask yourself all of the pertinent questions so that you can get the appropriate feel for what kind of fond you are looking to create.
If you don’t have a plan, you can’t hope to create a font that will be useful to you in any way.
Begin on paper
Patience is a virtue and it is important to demonstrate that. Test yourself on paper before jumping to a piece of software. It will likely save you a ton of frustration and help you feel more prepared to go forward with creating your own font.
Find the software that fits you best
This is the most important step in the process. When you have a level of familiarity and comfort with the software that you are using, it becomes a much easier process to create the font of your choosing.
There are a variety of options available online and it is a matter of figuring out which one suits your needs the best. This is step is essential because if you can’t deal with the software, you can’t get a good feel for your creation.
Get to creating
Now it’s time to create! Play around with your creation, experiment, and take chances. This is the best way for you to create a font that you can be proud of and to find a look that is ultimately yours.
Patience is one of the key aspects to this process, so take your time and don’t let frustration get the best of you!
