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How important is the custom typeface?
Custom fonts are my favourite way to add personality to a brand identity, and I'm really enjoying creating handwriting typefaces at the moment. After sketching on paper and then bringing my forms into Procreate, I then go on to vectorise in Illustrator. For simpler fonts, I use Fontself to set up my fonts.
If you've not made a font before, it's one of the most enjoyable processes (and handwriting is a great place to start as you don't have to think about matching your serifs or perfecting your line weights).
What's your favourite type project at the moment?
I'm noticing more and more messy/scrawly/scratchy fonts in brands and online. Is this another example of how we're becoming more drawn to the handmade?
Nice work
Such a cute font😍
thank you so much!
Creative work.
Well done! ⭐
Handmade type really does add a different kind of personality. The imperfect bits are usually what make the brand feel memorable.
for sure!! I am always drawn to handwriting fonts and hand drawn brand elements etc.
adorable, i love the truly human touch of a typeface that's handwritten!
thank you so much!
The fact you enjoy creating custom font meh, gudus to you
lol are you not a fan?
Big one lol
Looks so "handy" 😍
haha love that! thank you!
Looks creative
This is such a cute font and I think custom typefaces can add a very personal touch to a brand.
thank you so much, and 100% agree! they definitely don't look sleek or professional, but way more 'human' and personable.
Thats a interesting thingggg
Hand made fonts are considered unique and though not always as flawless as computer fonts they give a personal atmosphere
for sure, definitely best for more 'personable' brands that don't need to look as modern or professional.
This is really cool; thanks for sharing your process!
the paper-first step is why they feel human
Beautiful!!!
love it
good font for kids book or printing stuff
OMG this font its made to give personality to anyone using it! lovely font😍
Very polished and professional design
A custom typeface can give a brand a distinctive voice and make it more recognizable across its touchpoints. It becomes part of the identity, not just a visual detail.
Looks nice
beautiful
Hand-drawn type is the one brand asset a competitor cannot lift from a library, which is exactly why I lean on it. The scrawly trend reads to me as fatigue with geometric sans everywhere, people want a human hand back in the mark.
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Is sketching part of your creative workflow or we've forgotten what it feels to be human?
Depending on the projec's scope, I normally like to explore my ideas on paper before I come up with the best solution.
And no, they're not perfect.
They are rough and messy, my goal is so visualize my thought, not to perfect the design on paper.
Once I believe I've come up with the right one, I then move forward with the digitalizing phase and vectorise and refine it in Illustrator until I've achieved the perfect result. Finally and totaly optional, I evolve the the mark from 2D to 3D and animate it, in order to bring it to life.
This is a design process inspired from the Lascaux Cave paintings, featuring two abstract horned animals with their communicative / storytelling intention. The freeform shape resembles the original paleolithic paintings and their use of charcoal and different materials to draw them. The organic geometric shapes blended within are something to add as unique touch for better differentiation.
Do you think the hand-made design is more appreciated nowadays?
Thats a goated workflow and opinion for me. I do the same when creating something from scracth on Rive too. Great point!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
One of my favourite places is designreviewed.com. They have an incredible archive of magazine covers from every decade since the 1910s, among so many other fantastic historical references and resources.
It's always a valuable challenge to recreate older design work using modern software, and I spent this morning designing a poster inspired by a 1980s Leo Lionni featured cover work. I don't think you can ever really emulate true paper texture digitally, but you definitely can get close!
Here's a little timelapse of my process in Photoshop, and some pics of the final poster (my reference is at the end). Let me know what you think!
I always check Pinterest first
When does a hand-drawn logo make sense for a brand?
In this case, a Barcelona-based creative studio founded by a team with decades of combined experience approached me wanting a hand-drawn identity that would feel unexpected for a team like them, a way to signal creativity and distinction.
They came with a strong concept: the sediment at the bottom of a wine glass. What stays after everything else fades. A nod to what good work leaves behind after years of experience.
The entire identity is built on hand-drawn illustration, so the logo needed to do something different. With so much personality already living in the visuals, we went for a logotype with weight and presence, something that could anchor the brand and communicate their expertise.
The hand is still there. Just in a different form.
Do you think hand-drawn elements are being used more as a trend than as an intentional choice?
Looks super cool! Love the craft behind every branded element, from type to illustration. I believe it makes the brand very strong and consistent