Letter News Newsletter
It's back!
Fontographer
Fontographer 5 now creates OpenType fonts
Fontographer is back as a total process tool, eliminating the need for other software to complete most fonts.

Fontographer 5 can now implement Unicode and create Open type fonts. Many of us (myself included) who continued to draw and kern in Fontographer and then finish their fonts in FontLab are celebrating. Anything that makes software more "designerly" and "less techie" for us artists is great news.

Fontographer was long the favorite of many type designers because of the comparative ease of use when drawing and designing fonts. But after Macromedia purchased it from Altsy long ago, they let it fall into obsolescence. It's fate looked even more dismal when Adobe acquired Macromedia. But it wasn't. FontLab rescued (licensed) Fontographer and updated it: first to make it compatible with newer operating systems, and now they have brought it up to date to  include current type formats and standards.

As Yuri Yarmola of FontLab aptly put it, "Fontographer is a full-scale font editor for those who want to draw, not engineer fonts."

Compare the various font editing programs yourself while I go buy an upgrade.


Happy Birthday USA

There's  more of my lettering work to be seen.

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Issue 19             
July 2010
Incheon Jazz Fest

I created the logotype for the Incheon Jazz Festival which takes place in Korea this month and lettering for the CD for one of the participants: the ethereal singer Yeahwon Shin. Summer and jazz are a great pairing.
The design process
As Simple as it SeemsAs Simple as it Seems
This book jacket has such a lovely image, evocative of summer to me. I love the bit of lettering I did which matches the feel so well.

This is the designers comp which was sent to me when they selected the lettering they wanted to use on the cover. But the book, which has just been released, has a different photo, colors. I prefer the feeling the comp evokes in me more...but I'm not the 9-12 year old target market and am the first to admit that it's the simple sophistication which attracts me.

As simple as it seems, design isn't always an easy process. My favorite version of the lettering isn't always chosen, although I often understand why when I see the finished project. Or the art director's favorite design doesn't make it past the client. There are a myriad of major and minor obstacles along the design path. Some of the lettering I regularly show as examples wasn't the selected version. Others only make it through after many rounds of revision in such a state of dilution that I barely recognize my hand in it any more. So be it. It's part of the process.

I pass on the advice given to me early in my career about portfolios: show what you want to do and what you like. This speaks to me.
Note from Jill
As a kid I nearly became a fruitarian every summer, feasting on melons, cherries, berries, peaches and more. As an adult, I realize summer means barbecues and fireworks to most people, but it still drips of watermelon to me.

Have a safe and sparkling 4th!
Jillsummer fruit
Jill Bell Brandlettering
913 649.4505



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