Looking for help with advanced pen tool techniques.

[hkartte]

I’m currently learning how to effectively and precisely use the pen tool to vectorize my hand lettering for logotypes. However, though I’ve learned the basics e.g. placing points in the extremas, handles either vertical or horizontal with appropriate equidistant lengths, overlapping the curve lines in corners and ensuring the handles don’t ever lap each other. However, I’m still struggling, especially when it comes to thinner letters. Getting the curves to look smooth is harder with thinner shapes and inflection points are a nuisance. Does anyone know of any advanced teachers or techniques? I understand it’s practice but I think I need a little more clarity. A lot of letterers and type designers use Glyphs which they brag is better at creating letters whilst dissing programs like AI and Affinity. But my argument is that it can’t be that hard as people have been mastering the pen tool for years.

I’ve begun studying others’ curves from Pinterest, but I’ve noticed that people have generally the same technique. Some people I notice use Glyohs, which I unfortunately don’t have access to as I use the IPad. So, does anyone have tips or resources?

Help would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you.

[firstdefence]

One of the techniques I use is the construction of a letter based not on drawing with the pen tool; unless it requires a less precise look, but to use shapes to get the smooth curves and precise symmetry. With Designer now having shape builder, the knife and scissors you can build your fonts, so don't limit yourself to just the pen tool.

You will find a lot of fonts, especially the cheaper fonts are poorly drawn and have quite a few mistakes in them. Looking at fonts in font specific apps like Fontlab and Glyphs to name a few do demonstrate this. In apps like those mentioned previously they do have a different set of tools and indicators to aid in good font creation so I wouldn't dismiss them, although there is a bit of app snobbery, professionals will use whatever tool gets the job done and benefits the creative flow.

 

[markw]

I only occasionally need to make Fonts, and just for my own needs, so by no means am I an expert at it!
But on those occasions I’ve needed to I’ve done all the initial letter designs in AD and then Copy&Paste each letter into Glyphs mini.
I find AD’s tools easier to use for constructing the letters than those in Glyphs mini but that’s probably just down to greater familiarity with AD’s tools over Glyphs construction tools.
In Glyphs I then do all the final cleaning up of each character and the additional metrics that AD can not do that are needed for a usable font before finally exporting it from Glyphs mini.

[hkartte]

@firstdefence thanks for your advice. I never thought of using shapes, so thank you. I have looked at Glyphs/other font creation apps and want to use it them in the future, but right now my only setup is an iPad. The shape idea is brilliant. 

[hkartte]

@markw that’s interesting you say that. I’ve heard many people say they prefer Glyphs and Glyphs only. But as I said, people have been hand lettering in Ai and AD for years, so I presumed it’s not impossible to either build fonts/logotype in it. Can I ask, do you know of or have ever tried Glyphr Studio? It’s online based. Just wondering whether I could do my letters in AD first, then import into Glyphr studio. I’m a little dubious to choose bad apps in case I ever choose to distribute and it all goes kaput. Thank you for your help. 

[markw]

No, I can’t say that I have ever tried Glyphr Studio before.
I did just try a quick experiment just now and you can Copy&Paste individual letters into it from Designer in much the same way as I’ve done with Glyphs mini.
The one thing I would note though with my very brief experiment is that when pasting like this into Glyphr Studio, after hitting the past command, cmd+V, all that happened for me in Glyphr was that a small grey text box with the word ‘Paste’ in it appeared in the work area.
I then need to click once on this text box and then the paste actually happened.
But as it’s free to use do experiment with Glyphr Studio and see if it meets your current needs.