Designing Hanzi Typefaces for Vertical and Horizontal Typesetting

Full-Day Workshop
Time: 9:30–5:30 pm | 09:30–17:30 Brisbane local time
Length: 6 hours (plus midday break for lunch on your own)
Cost: $100

Location: QCAD South Bank Campus
Check-in 15 minutes before start time

We will start by explaining the legacy of Hanzi type design process and methodology from the metal type age. The mechanism for both vertical and horizontal type settings and economical reasons moulded Hanzi of different shapes into a same size square box.

Turning into digital type age, the cage of Hanzi has vanished while the cage in most CJK type designers’ minds remains obstinate. There is hardly any exploration in proportional Hanzi type with spacing and kerning, neither for the research of the Hanzi design process and methodology with advanced digital tools.

Through the Hanzi Type Design Demystified research project, running Chinese type design education since 2017, and being a localization partner of Glyphs in China, we have developed a unique way of developing Hanzi typeface.

We will work on a set of representative Hanzi characters to set the guidelines and metics.

The process of the workshop is as follows:

1. A brief intro of Hanzi design history and existing design process and methodology.
2. Make sketch drawings of Hanzi glyphs (could be on paper or digitally).
3. Move to Glyphs 3 and set up Hanzi metrics.
4. Design Hanzi glyphs.
5. Build smart components from ready-made Hanzi glyphs.
6. Build new glyphs with smart components.
7. Set up left/right and top/bottom side bearings of Hanzi glyphs.
8. Set up horizontal and vertical kernings of Hanzi glyphs.

Attendees should bring:

• A MacBook with Glyphs 3.