This event is community produced and not an AIGA SF event. This event is recommended by AIGA SF

For the graphic designer who has always wanted to create an original font, or for the beginner type designer who wants a new perspective, this workshop covers the basic principles and techniques of typeface design. Arrive with hand-drawn sketches of letterforms, and walk away with a basic working OpenType font. Through a combination of lectures, critiques, and immersive studio sessions, students will gain the skills to continue developing their projects independently.

The course will include basic training in Robofont, and free temporary licenses for the software will be available. Students must bring their own laptops, running Mac OS 10.6 or higher, and should have some prior experience with vector drafting (for example, the pen tool in Illustrator).

Jesse Ragan runs the small type foundry XYZ Type with business partner Ben Kiel, and designs custom typefaces and lettering independently in Brooklyn, New York. He has served on the board of directors for AIGA/NY and has taught at Type@Cooper (which he co-founded) and Pratt Institute. After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Jesse started his career at Hoefler & Frere-Jones. Notable past design collaborations include Gotham, Archer, and Omnes.