Workshops

We offer a variety of optional pre-conference workshops for everyone from beginners to professionals. Please choose your workshops when you register for the conference. All workshops are held at our partner school, Massachusetts College of Art.

Wednesday, August 9

Full-day Sessions - 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Digital Font Production 101
Presented by Jim Lyles, Sue Zafarana, and Steve Zafarana, Bitstream
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-5:00 pm | Cost: $100 + $20 materials fee

Digital Font Production 101 is an entry-level workshop aimed at the beginning type designer looking to develop basic font production skills. The focus will be on preparing an existing typeface design for font production. Topics covered in the workshop will include basic preparation of artwork, the fundamentals of letter fitting and kerning, an overview of hinting, and a general guide for font generation. FontLab Studio will be used for demonstration purposes. One-on-one assistance will be available, but familiarity with the tool is recommended.

Each workshop attendee will receive a signed copy of the latest edition of the essential reference book, Learn FontLab Fast, by Leslie Cabarga.

This workshop will be conducted in a Macintosh lab.

Space is limited to 16 attendees.

Glyph Kitchen - Alphabet Sauce and other Typographic Condiments
Presented by Jim Wasco and friends, Monotype Imaging
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-5:00 pm | Cost: $100

The glyph kitchen is a place for exploring type in a variety of media. Forget the technological side of type design and return to the physical element of making letters, ornaments, words, and sentences - anything typographic. Explore a large and luscious variety of media and tools, and free your creative impulses. Here's a little taste of the ingredients you'll be working with: paint, foam brushes, sponges, Styrofoam, cut and torn paper; potatoes and carrots; string and yarn; light and shadow; leaves, grass, bamboo, and sticks; tape, nails, ink, clay, sand, beads, and wire.

Dress for a mess, and get ready to get your hands dirty!

Space is limited to 15 attendees.

Gourmet Typography
Presented by Ilene Strizver, The Type Studio
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-5:00 pm | Cost: $100

Take control of your type instead of letting it control you! Ilene Strizver's workshop focuses on learning and applying the typographic skills and aesthetics rarely taught in schools or fully understood by professionals. Learn how to "see" like you've never seen before.

Topics covered include:
- What makes a good typeface?
- The ten worst typographic typos
- Eight tips to more professional typography
- Kerning demystified

This workshop is geared towards both graphic designers and type designers alike.

Space is limited to 30 attendees.

Wednesday, August 9

Half-day Sessions/Morning - 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

Designing in FontLab Studio
Presented by Adam Twardoch, FontLab Ltd., and Mark Simonson, Mark Simonson Studio
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50

This workshop will focus on different tools and strategies when designing type. We will discuss different ways to create letterforms, including scanning existing artwork, automatic and manual tracing, and drawing outlines using digital tools. We will work with Photoshop, Illustrator, ScanFont, and FontLab Studio to design glyphs. We will then extend the character set using composites glyphs and review various letterspacing and kerning techniques, using class kerning in FontLab Studio.

Workshop attendees should have basic knowledge of font technology (for example, what are glyphs, sidebearings, and kerning pairs?), and at least some initial experience with FontLab Studio 5. It is recommended that participants read Learn FontLab Fast by Leslie Cabarga before attending this workshop. Copies of the book will also be available for sale during the class. Participants will be asked to complete some exercises during the workshop.

This workshop will be conducted in a Macintosh lab.

Space is limited to 16 attendees.

Engraving, Social Stationery Engraving, and a Microcosmic View of the History of Graphic Design and Typography
Presented by Nancy Sharon Collins
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 materials fee

The traditional styles of the hand-engraved social stationery trade are a miniature version of the evolution of typography and graphic design (think monograms, calling cards, and Edith Wharton).

Specimens of vintage monograms, lettering styles, and engraving will be on display - workshop attendees will learn to make new symbols and letterforms using these historic pieces as inspiration. By tracing, combining, and retracing existing forms, new forms will be made.

Real tools of the trade will be provided so that all attendees can try their hand with a "graver" (or "burin"). This is very important - you will be better able to appreciate the process by actually being able to feel the "cut" as a line or letterform was made in this elegant, almost lost art.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Letterpress - Exquisite Corpse Poem
Presented by Keith Cross, Milk Row Studio
Wednesday, August 9 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 lab fee

This workshop is an introduction to manual typesetting and letterpress printing. You'll compose text with existing typefaces in our collection and print an "Exquisite Corpse" poem on one of three Vandercook Proof Presses.

What is exquisite corpse? http://www.exquisitecorpse.com/definition.html

In preparation for this session, please be thinking of a couple lines of text - a short quip, phrase, words, idea, or something else to typeset during the workshop. It can be lines from a poem, words you enjoy, or you can make it up on the spot. We won't have much time to ponder the perfect wording - you'll be too busy typesetting and asking questions.

This workshop will be conducted in the letterpress studio.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Wednesday, August 9

Half-day Sessions/Afternoon - 1:30 - 5:00 pm

Font Families in FontLab Studio
Presented by Thomas Phinney, Adobe Systems, and Adam Twardoch, FontLab Ltd.
Wednesday, August 9 | 1:30-5:00 pm | Cost: $50

This workshop will concentrate on the issue of creating font families with many styles. While the Multiple Master format is no longer popular as a shipping font format, it is still useful as a type design tool. Therefore, we will discuss basics of Multiple Master design and present the Multiple Master aspects of the FontLab Studio user interface. We will demonstrate techniques for creating additional styles using the node interpolation tool, anisotropic interpolation, and some other tricks. We will discuss some common traps and problems when using MM as a design aid. Finally, we will focus on coordinating some technical font parameters within a family (including family naming and vertical metrics).

Workshop attendees should have intermediate experience with FontLab Studio 5 and be reasonably confident with Bezier drawing tools. Participants should also have intermediate understanding of font technology (what is Unicode, Type 1, OpenType, interpolation, etc.?). It is recommended that participants read Learn FontLab Fast by Leslie Cabarga before attending this workshop. Copies of the book will also be available for sale during the class. Participants will be asked to complete some exercises during the workshop.

This workshop will be conducted in a Macintosh lab.

Space is limited to 16 attendees.

Introduction to Calligraphy
Presented by Maryanne Grebenstein, The Abbey Studio
Wednesday, August 9 | 1:30-5:00 pm | Cost: $50 + $15 materials fee

This workshop is for people with lots of interest in calligraphy but little or no experience in broad-edged pen lettering. We will start at the very beginning and explain pen angle, pen scale, and letter slope. We'll move on to pencil-made skeletal letter shapes of the italic alphabet and then begin making the letters with pen and ink. The concepts taught in this workshop are the basics for all broad-edged pen lettering styles and can be adapted for lettering in the Uncial, Carolingian, Foundational, and Gothic styles. Participation in Maryanne's Illumination Workshop will enhance this class experience.

Each workshop attendee will receive their own calligraphy fountain pen set to work with during class and take home.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Letterpress - Tag-Team Poster Art
Presented by Keith Cross, Milk Row Studio
Wednesday, August 9 | 1:30-5:00 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 lab fee

No holds barred! Grab your title belt and get on over to the shop for a three-team, six-color run, letterpress poster melee. Learn how to quickly change colors on press with no wash-up. Set-it-and-print-it techniques escape the referee's call on "delay of match." Grapple with composition and win with magnets. Concealing your identity is optional. See you there!

This workshop will be conducted in the letterpress studio. Prior letterpress experience is preferred.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Thursday, August 10

Half-day Sessions/Morning - 9:00 am - 12:30 pm

OpenType in FontLab Studio
Presented by Adam Twardoch, FontLab Ltd.
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50

This workshop will focus on developing OpenType fonts. We will discuss planning character sets, glyph naming, and encoding. We will demonstrate some tricks to help when creating glyphs for large character sets (using Multiple Master, composites, anchors, and blending). Finally, we will develop some OpenType Layout features in FontLab Studio and in Microsoft VOLT.

Workshop attendees should have intermediate experience with FontLab Studio 5. Participants should also have an intermediate understanding of font technology (what is Unicode, Type 1, OpenType, etc.?). It is recommended that participants read Learn FontLab Fast by Leslie Cabarga before attending this workshop. Copies of the book will also be available for sale during the class. Participants will be asked to complete some exercises during the workshop.

This workshop will be conducted in a Macintosh lab.

Space is limited to 16 attendees.

Font Testing 101
Presented by Brenda Lorenzo and Karen Dupré, Monotype Imaging
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50

Now that you've created a wonderful new font, how do you confirm that it will work on the intended platforms and applications?

- Does it install?
- Does it display and print?
- Do advanced features work as expected?
This workshop will explore how to test your fonts to ensure that they will perform well in various operating systems, popular applications, and printers. With over 45 years (combined) of font testing experience, Brenda and Karen will discuss test processes and readily available tools for font testing. Sample templates for several popular desktop publishing and word processing applications will be included on a handout CD for attendees to take home.

If you are confused about testing your fonts, try this workshop!

"Testing is the process of comparing the invisible to the ambiguous, so as to avoid the unthinkable happening to the anonymous." by James Bach
http://www.satisfice.com

Space is limited to 18 attendees.

Turning Fonts into Cash
Presented by David DeWitt, Monotype Imaging
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50

How do you know if you've created a great font?

- If it's beautiful? Well, yes.
- If it met the design brief? Yup, that too.
- If it's distinctive? Sure, that helps.
- The real clue? If it sells!
This workshop is about how to market, promote and sell your fonts. It's a "deep dive" into the business of making money with fonts. David DeWitt is the guy that is ultimately responsible for the success of the Fonts.com website. He will take you through the strategies of font marketing, promotion, pricing, and placement of fonts. You'll learn how to create market awareness for your designs, the best way to launch new fonts, and how to create a buzz. You will also find out the best ways to take advantage of font distributors, the trade press, and the web.

If you want to get the inside track on making your fonts successful, this is the workshop for you!

Space is limited to 18 attendees.

Arabic Calligraphy/Typography
Presented by Mourad and Arlette Boutros, Boutros International
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 materials fee

This workshop focuses on the development of the Arabic script. The Boutros team will offer a continuous demonstration on how to take calligraphy from the bamboo stage to the computer, and show different styles of calligraphy. The demonstration will include writing Arabic calligraphy using traditional bamboo and ink as well as other writing utensils like magic markers. After the demonstrations, attendees will be given the opportunity to try their hand at the techniques they have learned. Mourad will also offer a keepsake of personalized Arabic writing to each attendee.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Freeform Calligraphy/Typography
Presented by Richard Lipton
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 materials fee

This workshop will focus on a series of playful warm-up exercises. We'll have fun making large, sweeping freeform calligraphic marks using a wide variety of writing tools on huge pieces of paper taped to the walls. They say the rehearsal can be better than the performance, as there is no pressure to make things exactly right. We'll take risks, make grand mistakes, and revel in them. These exercises can only help your more polished work. In the end, we'll all take the same quote and see what happens as we treat it like a gesture drawing and search for the essence of the letters. Some experience is always helpful, though none is necessary to take this workshop.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Illumination
Presented by Maryanne Grebenstein, The Abbey Studio
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $5 materials fee

This workshop will provide a quick introduction to manuscript illumination and the making of historiated initial capital letters. We will experiment with gold paint and gouache and design letters reminiscent of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. Discussion and demonstration of the use and application of gold leaf on vellum will be part of this workshop. Supplies will be on hand for use during the workshop, but participants are encouraged to bring their own materials if they wish. Participation in Maryanne's Introduction to Calligraphy class will enhance this workshop experience.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.

Letterpress - Victorian Ransom Note
Presented by Al Gowan
Thursday, August 10 | 9:00 am-12:30 pm | Cost: $50 + $10 lab fee

Working with hand-set type is like cooking with leftovers. After unlimited choices of digital type and images, a half-empty bin of letters seems daunting. But limitations have produced the greatest recipes. Each participant will produce a printed ransom note, combining wood type, metal type, and Victorian ornaments from our collection.

This workshop will be conducted in the letterpress studio. Prior letterpress experience is preferred.

Space is limited to 12 attendees.