Typophile

How to construct a monoline font with selectable thickness?

Bert Vanderveen

Hi, I was wondering if it is possible to fashion a monoline font that does NOT scale in thickness when you change its size. Eg the line thickness of a 24 pt glyph would be the same in 35 or 67 or 128 (etc.). Or, to state it differently: I would like to set the stroke for a whole block of text, independent from the glyph sizes…
And then some more: I would like to be able to set the stroke in my design applications.
And to make it even more complicated: how about being able to change the line ends (rounded, square, etc.) as one can in Illustrator, FreeHand, cum suis?

My reasoning: when mixing type sizes in headlines and subs (using a monoline) the effect (and the ’colour’) would be a lot better if the stroke thicknesses did not scale.

‹ Feijoa gives error in EPS FontLab "Expand Strokes": parameter missing ›
Bert Vanderveen

Sideline: Funny how the full latin for the abbreviation cs is displayed by this sites engine.

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Bert Vanderveen BNO

schriftgestalt

hello,

I would draw a font as this as possible and then give it a outline in the layout app.

Georg

David Berlow

“I was wondering if it is possible to fashion a monoline font that does NOT scale in thickness when you change its size”
It is possible several ways. One would need to know if the font was going to appear as a mathematical monoline or an apparent monoline, an optically scaling mathematical or apparent monoline, and the precise sizes and resolutions required. With this, the best way could be specified.

Cheers!

Nick Shinn

Lucas de Groot’s Taz has something of this effect.

Nick Shinn

But it’s not automatic, requiring the use of a table, which he provides, giving the stroke thickness at various point sizes, for the different fonts.

Bert Vanderveen

Thanks, David and Nick,
I’ll look into Taz.

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Bert Vanderveen BNO

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