BubbleKern is a kerning tool for GlyphsApp that generates kerning data based on the non-rectangular shape called ‘bubble’. The idea of the non-rectangular spacing model is nothing new and can prove quite useful in any writing scripts, especially complex ones. When I presented it in 2016 at ATypI Warsaw, I presented it as a new tool that generates kerning data, due mostly to my technical limitation. However, the ideal use of BubbleKern has always been to generate a font that is equipped with bubble-based spacing and minimal kerning, with traditional rectangular body as a fallback. After 10 years the original announcement, I would like to present a new version of BubbleKern that uses a new bubble model with improved user friendliness, and a proof of concept that utilises the bubble-based font.
BubbleKern Revisited
Toshi Omagari
Toshi is an independent typeface designer in London. He graduated from the Visual Communication Design course at Musashino Art University in Tokyo in 2008 and the MA Typeface Design program at the University of Reading in 2011. Since he joined Monotype in 2012, he has released a number of revivals of forgotten classics such as Metro Nova, The Berthold Wolpe Collection, and Neue Plak, while also working on custom typefaces for clients such as H&M and Sir Quentin Blake.
He now runs his own studio. Writing systems of his interest and specialty are not only limited to Latin but others, including Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, Tibetan, and Mongolian.
Toshi is also an avid gamer, and has written Arcade Game Typography, a specimen book of pixelated typefaces from retro arcade games.
Inspired by the old game fonts, Toshi has started Tabular Type Foundry that releases monospaced typefaces only. He also runs Omega Type Foundry for non-monospaced fonts.