How eleven students (of HEAD Geneva) created a type specimen book in 5 days, featuring 200+ libre and open source fonts. View on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/68202369

1. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
designing
a*libre*font*
specimen*book
Manuel Schmalstieg
greyscalepress.com
Libre Graphics Meeting
April 12 2013
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

2. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

3. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
designing
a*libre*font*
specimen*book
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

4. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
specimen
books?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

5. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

6. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

7. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

8. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

9. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

10. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

11. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

12. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

13. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

14. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
(+) many fonts
(-) too little space
(-) boilerplate text
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

15. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

16. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

17. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

18. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

19. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

20. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

21. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
(+) lots of space
(+) LARGE TYPE
(-) few examples at
paragraph size
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

22. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
what we have:
* great libre fonts
* print on demand
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

23. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
do it!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

25. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
feb. 18-22 2013:
* first implementation
at HEAD Geneva
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

26. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

27. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
rules:
* use libre fonts
* focus: body text
* make an open book
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

28. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
searching
for a
layout
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

29. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

37. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
searching
for a
source text
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

38. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

39. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

40. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

41. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

42. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
«Dialogues
françois
pour jeunes
enfants»
Christophe
Plantin
(1567)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

43. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
find:
* a real text
* in the public domain
* in french
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

44. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
l’ève
future
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

45. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
l’ève
future
(1886)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

46. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Auguste de
Villiers de
L'Isle-Adam
(1838-1889)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

47. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Thomas
Alva
Edison
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

48. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

49. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

50. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
published: 1886
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

51. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
published: 1886
author †: 1889
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

52. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
published: 1886
author †: 1889
public domain: √
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

53. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

54. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
word count:
85’388
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

55. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
word count:
85’388
/12
= 7115 words/pers.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

56. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
at 500 words /
specimen
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

57. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
at 500 words /
specimen
= 15 specimens p.
person
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

58. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
doable!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

59. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

60. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

61. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

62. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

63. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

64. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

65. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

66. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

67. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

68. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* * *
what
worked
* * *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

69. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* we did the book
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

70. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

71. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

72. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

73. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

74. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

75. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* we shared the
sources
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

78. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* direct
communication
with type
designers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

80. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* engaged the
school into
a debate on
open licencing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

81. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* * *
what
didn’t
work
* * *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

82. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* proprietary
workflow and
file format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

83. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
wrong assumption:
* we can switch
tools along the way
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

84. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
actually:
* it won’t happen
* time pressure
will cause lock-in
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

85. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
lesson:
* define tools and
workflow from
day one !!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

86. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

87. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* * *
conclusions
* * *
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

88. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
* get the book
* replicate
* improve
* collaborate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

89. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
to-do:
*new iterations
*more languages
*different focus
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }

90. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
¡ muchas
gracias !
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ; : ? ! $ ¢ £ ¥ & * ) { ö ü å ø ç }