Typography in branding

Member lesson

Custom and modified type

Lesson 5 of 8 in Typography in branding.

Richard Kegler on Custom Typeface Design, Font Modification, and Licensing | SVA · Kadenze
Lesson

There are three levels and the cost between them is enormous. Drawing the logotype alone, modifying an existing family under licence, and commissioning a complete typeface. The first can be a few weeks and the last can be a year.

primaryheadlines · the voicesecondarylong text · the worksysteminterfaces · already therea brand that licenses one weight has a system with one voicecount the seats before you fall in love with the family
Three type roles: one for headlines, one for text, one already on every device.
Three workspaces side by side show a small desk with one sheet of letter shapes, a table where a designer files metal letters, and a large studio wall of drawings with designers on ladders.
Three workspaces grow from one drawn logotype, to a few adjusted letters, to a wall covered in a whole new typeface. The effort and cost between the levels is huge.
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  1. Question 1, locked

    Why is drawing the logotype alone usually the best value of the three levels of custom type?

    • A drawn logotype sits outside the licence terms of the family it was drawn from
    • The name is reproduced more than anything else, so resolving its spacing and joins carries most of the distinctiveness
    • It grants exclusivity over the whole family without commissioning one
    • It removes the need for a licensed text face on the website
  2. Question 2, locked

    Which of these words means this? “A face commissioned for one brand. Usually exclusive for a term, then sometimes released.”

    • Perpetual versus subscription
    • Set solid
    • Text face
    • Custom typeface
  3. Question 3, locked

    Which of these words means this? “Altering a licensed font. Almost always forbidden by the licence unless negotiated.”

    • Font licence
    • Modification
    • Fallback
    • Perpetual versus subscription

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