Graham Meade
Graham call Melbourne, Australia home and have lived here since moving from England in 1970. He arrived into the world knowing nothing, and at times it seems as if he still know nothing. (Those are his exact words, not mine, so don't write me nasty letters =) ).
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What was the first font you created? And what other fonts have you designed? |
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I really could not tell you the first one I made as it was so long ago and many fonts have been released since then. A few of the others I have made are Rebuffed, A Charming Font, Freebooter, A Yummy Apology, Labrit, Heidorn Hill and the Street family. |
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What attract or drive you to design fonts? |
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Nothing in particular I just had an idea one day and it developed into a major hobby. I just wait and see what ideas pop into my mind now. |
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How long have you been creating fonts? |
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I have been dabbling with fonts for about six years. It does not seem to been as long as this, but time does fly. |
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Who first introduced you to font creation and how did it come about? |
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No-one really. I have had computers since the Commodore 64 came out and the typefaces have always interested me, plus I was addicted to D&D for a while, and tried to develop my own game. |
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Is there anyone in the font industry that you admire? If yes, who is it and what do you admire about him or her? |
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I really admire some of the major freeware font creators, for they are trying to pass on their love for fonts without crass commercialism getting in the way. Their works are major works or art and not some mass produced clones like the commercial companies are releasing. |
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What brand of coffee do you drink? |
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At present it is International Roast, at 16 cups a day. |
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What softwares/resources do you use when creating your fonts? |
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There are many products that I use and have tried. The main ones are Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Streamline, A scanner, pens and paper, and the main ones, Fontographer and Fontlab. I mainly do my work in Illustrator now and import it into Fontographer. |
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Can you tell us about your font design process and how do you approach it ? |
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In my mind, the best way to approach a font creation is to first rough out your idea on paper, so you have a visual representation to refer to, then recreate it in Ilustrator (or some other similar software). |
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What suggestions/advices can you pass onto someone who might be interested in getting involve in font creation? |
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Dont do it. Seriously though, take plenty of time to practice before releasing anything, and dont expect results instantly. Also dont fall into trap many people do, by taking shortcuts and using someone elses font as a base. |
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Are there any good online website(s) that you use for inspiration? |
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No, but films, TV and books can be good idea generators. |
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Who is cooler? Superman or Batman? |
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Batman, of course. He can be related to more easily because he is a normal guy, not some souped up, over the top facsimile. |
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Is font creation your full time job? If yes, what is a typical day like? |
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No, it is a hobby. Real life is more mundane. |
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What knowledge or background does one need to have in order to go about creating fonts? |
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None at all. All you need are enthusiasm and creativity. The rest comes with practice. |
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What do you want people to take away from them about font design? |
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Fonts are fun. People should have fun using them in interesting fashions. |
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Where have your fonts been used? |
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On the Cover of a Steven King Computer Game, on a deck of playing cards, and on a lot of websites as the headings. They have been used by a couple of Amatuer heavy metal bands for CD covers. |
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And in closing, if there were something you could say to the next generation of font creators, what would it be? |
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Have fun making them, for if you dont enjoy it you will only wreck what you are trying to make. |
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| I would like to thank Graham for taking the time to have this interview with me. If font design does not keep him up all night, then his 16 cups of coffee surely will. =) You can download his old fonts here: http://moorstation.org/typoasis/designers/gemnew/home.htm?intro.htm~mainFrame or his new fonts here: www.apostrophiclab.com To be part of EthanCote.com: If you are creating fonts (either for a living or for fun) and would like to be a part of "Font Creators: Interview with the masters.", please send email to font_creators@ethancote.com. In the email include URL(s) to samples of your work and I will get in touch with you. Or if you would like to honour a font designer(s) whose font(s) you have used or love, send me their contact information along with your name and I will get in touch with them. | ||
