# STAGE 0: Getting started with font design

Designing a high-quality typeface and developing a font that works across platfroms take time, effort and expertise in;

1. Context: understanding the script and the language and their typographic conventions and traditions.

2. Drawing: Understanding the drawing techniques specific to typeface design and developing skills.

3. Technology: Understanding technology related to production and usage of digital font software. An understanding of pre-digital era type making and typesetting technologies helps a lot.

However making a working font file is easy with modern font editor software. This document presents some online resources related to 2 and 3.

## Drawing bezier curves

The bezier curve tools and vector editing tools like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator are not fit for the job of drawing Fonts, which have many different characters. Font editors are software programmes specifically designed and developed for drawing fonts and producing font files. It is strongly recommended to stick to font editor program in drawing. This section has some links on best practices in drawing.

[Bezier Curves and Type Design: A Tutorial](http://learn.scannerlicker.net/2014/04/16/bezier-curves-and-type-design-a-tutorial/) by Fábio Duarte Martins

[So What's the Big Deal with Horizontal & Vertical Bezier Handles Anyway?](http://theagsc.com/community/tutorials/so-whats-the-big-deal-with-horizontal-vertical-bezier-handles-anyway/)

[Hand Lettering: How to Vector Your Letterforms](http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/hand-lettering-how-to-vector-your-letterforms--cms-23248) by Scott Biersack

[A Primer on Bézier Curves](pomax.github.io/bezierinfo/): Math behind the curves

[type basics 100% practical](http://typeworkshop.com/index.php?id1=type-basics&id2=&id3=&id4=&id5=&idpic=15#pictloader)

[The Bézier Game](http://bezier.method.ac/) by Marc MacKay

[More tutorials](http://learn.scannerlicker.net/)

## On Making fonts

[Design with Fontforge](http://designwithfontforge.com/)

[Tutorial by Thomas Jokin](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wcWFLwNY8uQ-2SQiHsLBw)

## Font editor software

[Fontforge](http://fontforge.github.io/en-US/)

# On typography

[Type vs Lettering](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/understanding-difference-between-type-and-lettering/)

[Lettering, calligraphy and typography](http://www.typism.com.au/what-is-the-difference-between-hand-lettering-calligraphy-and-typography/)

[What's The Difference Between A Font And A Typeface?](https://www.fastcodesign.com/3028971/whats-the-difference-between-a-font-and-a-typeface)

## ADVANCED READING

https://opentypecookbook.com/