Fonts Across America

Tell us a little about why you selected these typefaces.

Earlier in June of 2018, my husband and I went on a road trip with family and friends from Germany. It began and ended in San Francisco, with many stops along the way through Big Sur, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Yosemite, and more. We followed Route 66 for most of this trip and I took pictures along the way of the scenery and the signs. There were so many interesting and historic signs to take pictures of – old signs on weathered wood, paint peeling, new signs artificially aged to look like old signs, funny signs with old expressions… all such a significant aspect of Americana and the American Southwest. I chose these fonts as they remind me of the signs I saw on this trip, and they would work well for signage in general for legibility and for their ability to bring one back to days past.

Tell us a story about you and fonts.

As a graphic designer for 13 years, I was a font consumer long before I became a font designer. My experience using fonts has had a significant impact on the style of typefaces I design, and what features and elements I include. I like to think about designing fonts as if I’m creating a tool of expression; the end user will use this font to create something else, and I want to give them what they need so that they have enough to work with and can customize it for the design they’re working with.

What is your process for selecting typefaces?

When working on a layout, I always start by selecting the most expressive font first, which is almost always the headline font. I type up a sample headline or two and set it in different fonts I’m keen to try and see what will work the best. From there, I go on to choose the complimentary fonts for subheadings and body text.

What is your advice for designers working with fonts?

Keep up with type technology! There’s been a lot of exciting advances in type, and tools are consistently being updated to make working with fonts easier. Start by getting to know the fonts that are already in your library – look at the various type panels in your applications and discover what they contain. Set a paragraph and see what happens when you turn on or off different features. Ask questions such as: why are there two different sets of numerals, Lining and Old Style? What are contextual alternates and should I apply it to my type? Experiment and have fun!