William Leverette (will.i.ૐ): FontStructions

fs Alhambra

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A swarthy and stout decorative script of humble origins. Gaze fixed on the far horizon, he readies himself to cast fortune on the seven seas. Every pirate has their beginnings somewhere...

Djangogh Unpenned

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Unlocked, unboxed, unchained, unsane. Comin’ heavy and hard at ya fs mastas; Djangogh Unpenned.

djangogh

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

tryin’ hard, I got screwy.

greek and cyrillic shaping up;
more characters to come... [update April, 2013:: The basic latin set has morphed into a new gothic sans design thanks to a host of solutions enabled by the new propeller bricks.]

Djangogh 2x

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

fs Kronos

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

filters: 2x2
x-height: 2.5 bricks
cap height: 3.5 bricks
# of unique composites: 220+

The ultra-low resolution of this grid may be difficult to grasp without cloning. Fontstruct’s logo has a nominal x-height of 3 bricks, by comparison.

The level of detail, control, and finesse possible in a given fonstruction depended mostly on resolution prior to the recent advent of stackable composites. Did you want it better? Make it bigger!

Brute force, now meet Elegance.

Instead of building individual glyphs hundreds of bricks tall, stackable composites allow us to design rich modular schemata hundreds of bricks deep. Using curved bricks at their largest scale, linear and curvilinear elements dynamically harmonize and oppose. As well, screen fonts can be effectively hinted (aside from notable lack of kerning controls) without sacrificing the integrity of joins and intersections. And the trapping possibilities, Oh the sweet sweet trapping possibilities...

Please, vote kindly and stay tuned for more :)

1/8ish center square

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Clone of fs SHŌGUN tiny.

Med LSD

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Clone of Med Splode. Yes this is a clone, even though originally it went the other way!

All credit to Buro Destruct for their original bitmap design. Except for the &, that one’s mine.

I originally released this in 2008 as an exploration of the optical effect possible using different modules in a simple, gridded bitmap design. Buro Destruct iconic design was an inviting point of departure.

I have recreated/republished this at the request of four who took the inspiration and ran with it.

fs galactica

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

fs isthmus #1

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A family of fonstructions: nine parametric variations in four weights utilizing advanced filters and bleeding-edge composite stacks. Most excitingly, overshoots are tackled with a combination of vertical filtering and composite bricks. Enjoy a private clone to see how it’s done.

fs light

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Here’s how far I got.

Halfbonez i

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

22 level elliptical halftone brickz...more to come...

Archly Gothic

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

When the new arc bricks were unleashed upon fontstructland, I attempted several different styles incorporating this new maximum curve. My first drafts revealed the direction I was heading. I wanted to create a flawless geometric, technical sans lowercase with a touch of calligraphic flair (there are some optical correction issues in the result, e.g. with the e). For the uppercase, I intended maximum style without sacrificing too much coherence – why lose any of the best bits?

Brush script, art deco, classic engraving, three genera of gothic (sans serif, blackletter, and ancient alphabet!), runic, hieroglyphic, and yet still some futuristic tendencies all informed me. But do they blend?

The handwritten quality of a broad-nibbed pen or skillfully wielded marker provides the binding agent. An emulsion of all these influences, it is at once all and none. Even the strict modularity begins to melt into the background. Yet so distinctly fontstruct...

RM Uncialic +ॐ

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Ray Meadow’s gorgeous take on uncial script is one of the best large-scale fontstructions ever released. The font has character, wit, and charm to spare and surely deserves all the attention and adulation awarded it by fontstructors and paying customers alike. Like any great work, it compels us to look closely and savour the details.

Inspecting Ray’s work, I sensed a range of mostly minor refinements and exacting adjustments that might make this gem shine all the more brightly. So, in the spirit of camaraderie, I requested permission to apply myself to a clone of his work in order to bring forth and share some of these suggestions. Approached in stages, the task of polishing this stone to my liking spread out over more than half a year.

My main goal was to smooth the modular geometry out as much as possible, address some stroke weight and contrast issues throughout, and rebalance specific forms. In many cases, I use custom composite and advanced stacking tricks to fine tune the curves of these letterforms. Upon studious inspection, a wealth of tweaks are revealed. I suspect that setting basic words and sentences is now an even greater joy with this version, and pray it will be of benefit and inspiration to make Ray’s great work even better.

The total effect strikes a greater unity between the uppercase and the lowercase. A few letters are significant departures from their starting points (K, k R, W) and offered both as suggestions for the mains and ideas for alternates. After so many hours of exploratory modulation, I am pleased to share this technical feedback with Ray and the fontstruct community*.

*For now cloning is off until I can communicate with Ray about the best approach to take with this. Hopefully we can find a way to share this without attracting a torrent of rip-offs.

fs Permutation IX

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Permutation IX: octahedral totem emboss on raised text achieved through 1/4 brick stagger of similar custom composite.

>> thalamic’s description (with edit)

Permutation: The act of changing the arrangement of a given number of elements.

One font, two different brick combinations.

Picking any two bricks from the 169 available gives a total possible combinations of 14196 (169C2) different fonts. Counting a certain kinds of bricks as one--all four 45degree, for instance--gives 36 unique bricks, resulting in 630 (36C2) unique combinations or fonts.

In this font, if the bricks are swapped with each other, the result will be a different font. Hence order of the bricks matter. In which case, nCr (combinations) is not the right choice. What's needed is nPr (permutations). 169P2 gives 28392 permutations and a 36P2 gives 1260 permutations.

So, at a minimum, 1260 fonts are possible with the current implementation of FontStruct, with just this particular layout of bricks. This whole permuatation thing is so fun and easy to play around with. The original fs Permutation series worked with just the bricks that were available by default. Since then, the FontStructor has evolved, allowing for, in part, custom bricks. This new permutation was not possible before. This one is created just to show that custom bricks can be dragged and dropped on top of the existing ones replacing the standard bricks. The bricks used here are [edit:1/4 brick staggered identical custom composites] .

Clone it and play around.

Instructions
1. Select a brick from the standard bricks or create your own custom brick.

2. Click and drag it to the brick in the first position in My Bricks until that brick turns gray.

3. Release.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the brick in the second position in My Bricks.

Learn. Enjoy. Share your permutation.

fs Permutation VIII

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Permutation VIII: dual weave pattern + character stroke via composite bricks, 2:2 advanced filtering.

>> thalamic’s description (with edit)

Permutation: The act of changing the arrangement of a given number of elements.

One font, two different brick combinations.

So, at a minimum, 1260 fonts are possible with the current implementation of FontStruct, with just this particular layout of bricks. This whole permuatation thing is so fun and easy to play around with. The original fs Permutation series worked with just the bricks that were available by default. Since then, the FontStructor has evolved, allowing for, in part, custom bricks. This new permutation was not possible before. This one is created just to show that custom bricks can be dragged and dropped on top of the existing ones replacing the standard bricks. The bricks used here are [edit: custom composites] .

Clone it and play around.

Instructions
1. Select a brick from the standard bricks or create your own custom brick.

2. Click and drag it to the brick in the first position in My Bricks until that brick turns gray.

3. Release.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the brick in the second position in My Bricks.

Learn. Enjoy. Share your permutation.

fs Permutation VII

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Permutation VII: Half-brick horizontal staggering of P.V via composite bricks.

>> thalamic’s description (with edit)

Permutation: The act of changing the arrangement of a given number of elements.

One font, two different brick combinations.

So, at a minimum, 1260 fonts are possible with the current implementation of FontStruct, with just this particular layout of bricks. This whole permuatation thing is so fun and easy to play around with. The original fs Permutation series worked with just the bricks that were available by default. Since then, the FontStructor has evolved, allowing for, in part, custom bricks. This new permutation was not possible before. This one is created just to show that custom bricks can be dragged and dropped on top of the existing ones replacing the standard bricks. The bricks used here are [edit: the composite orthagonal diamond and its stacked inverse] .

Clone it and play around.

Instructions
1. Select a brick from the standard bricks or create your own custom brick.

2. Click and drag it to the brick in the first position in My Bricks until that brick turns gray.

3. Release.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the brick in the second position in My Bricks.

Learn. Enjoy. Share your permutation.

fs Rondeux

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Version 2.0

A winning, small-matrix rendition of this super-elliptical monoline sans. If you’d like, please enjoy a private clone to tour the brand-spankin’ new interiors.

I embraced innovation at the expense of imperfection with faux-curve composite stacks. These custom bricks are used to resolve the most glaring proportion issues besetting version 1 (and 2’s) capitals. I risk intermittent aliasing as well as potential inconsistencies in both curvature and stroke contrast. Yet these composite-stack discontinuities (A,C,D,G,J,O,Q,S,U,V) marry unexpectedly well with the extensively used macaroni bricks and remain themselves smooth up to an impressive 72pt.

Manual kerning leaves a lot of room for improvement. The alternates are included mostly for curiosity’s sake. Another work in progress with samples to follow. Feedback is always very appreciated; thanks in advance for it! :)

iSlab

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A pixel-friendly semi-condensed slab serif fontstruction. Deceptively simple in appearance, variable stroke thickness is achieved through advanced filters and a one-brick stroke thickness for vertical strokes. I kept the spacing tight (and at an integer value) so it works decently well as a pixel font down to 8 pt (at 72 ppi this gives an x-height of four pixels and a breezily condensed form). Some funky spacing issues remain without kerning pairs. Kern as desired and remember to have some fun with it!

Ohm Run Slab

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Here, the innovative approach I took to stroke contrast in iSlab takes a radical leap forward. The result: a technical, friendly, modern slab serif design demonstrating further potential of the stackable composite function.

Please enjoy a private clone to see how I dealt with contrast, curves, bracketing, variable letter width and the difficult-to-achieve emboldening of the capitals’ vertical strokes within a minimal fontstruct matrix (and If you like what you see, please download for personal usage and vote kindly! :)

Intaglio’s amazing recent work makes similar strides (see the excellent rounds, for example), offering a solution before me to several of these long-standing impasses of the medium.

More characters to come... :)

fs Pythagoras

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

My second entry in the fs Cognate series. Stay tuned: more characters to come...