Font constructor/builder programs. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

radiotomcats · 17th Mar 2011, 10:27 pm

We have a problem (Houston). Seriously, With great care I decided to rinse a glass tuning dial, result? the letters and numbers rapidly started to float away. I managed to blot it dry and save enough to reconstruct it. Has any body tried a Font constructor program, I would like to 'lift' electronicly the remaning letters, I am sure I can find a complete alphabet, to make a font that I type in rather than a hugely laborious 'cut and paste' exercise. Once I have the font I can use 'Photoshop' to do the job and then print on to a transparency. The program will have to include different colours. I have spent hours trolling the web looking for a suitable font, the set is french and I suspect from the 1940s.I have scanned the remains and can 'post' if need be.

arjoll · 19th Mar 2011, 12:40 pm

Have you tried scanning and uploading it to WhatTheFont?? You may get some kind of match there.

GMB · 19th Mar 2011, 9:19 pm

To create a font that works properly starting just with some artwork is more difficult than you might think and is really not worth doing unless you have a serious ongoing need for it.

Get it wrong and you will spend that much time fiddling about that you might as well assemble the final result you want by cutting and pasting.

I was involved with doing this professionally, and we charged serious money (thousands) to make a font, which may give an idea of the work involved.

Henenen · 21st Mar 2011, 6:15 pm

Please post your scan radiotomcats.

There's also http://www.identifont.com/identify.html if WhatTheFont doesn't crack it (it's a bit more laborious).

radiotomcats · 24th Mar 2011, 7:13 pm

Re Fonts.
I have tried attach the scan I made of my damaged tuning dial.Its a large bitmap file and does not want to attach I have had a look round various font websites and I think the best bet would be one of the 'Gill sans seriph' fonts. If you would like to see the scan let me know your e-mail address.

Dave Moll · 24th Mar 2011, 7:48 pm

If it's a .BMP file, that's why you can't attach it. You will need to convert it to one of the listed types.

radiotomcats · 24th Mar 2011, 10:09 pm

Thanks Dave,
I did a conversion via MS Paint and will try it.

twocvbloke · 25th Mar 2011, 5:46 am

If you can find it, Macromedia Fontographer was a pretty good program for making your own fonts, not sure if it does Cut & paste from image files, but worth a look...

markhardy · 25th Mar 2011, 12:02 pm

fontographer was an excellent piece of software, I used it loads way back in the day. I've got copies of it but they are mac versions, and require 'classic' or an OS 9 or earlier system

it won't take a scanned image though, the scanned letters need to be vectorised. adobe streamline did it really well, or these days the live trace in illustrator does it, then copy and past the vector to fontographer

if you've got a higher res version of the image I'll see what I can find - i've got around 15,000 fonts collected over 20 years of graphic design

Henenen · 12th Apr 2011, 12:00 pm

Radiotomcat - Gill Sans would be a pretty close match, but it's not the font in your scan.

Here's Gill Sans: http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/gill-sans/regular/

Now look at your A - the horizontal bar is really low. Also, in your N the diagonal doesn't join the bottom of the right vertical bar. The Y is also different.

A, G, K, Q, S are good letters to compare when trying to match fonts - they each have unique properties that change from font to font (eg the tail on the Q).

If you email me a higher resolution scan (any format will do) I can look closer through our old font books at work. (will PM you my address)

brenellic2000 · 12th Apr 2011, 5:28 pm

An artist friend of mine built up his own vector font in Adobe Photoshop, but you need to know what you are doing artistically - and its slow process.

I suggest you use a standard font which is 'as close as' - and that probably means using Adobe fonts and not Microsoft look-a-likes - the closest matching will be the Linotype and Monotype printer's fonts widely used in Postcript files... and again these were mainly found in Mac based Corel/Adobe programs. Microsoft always was naff when it came to publishing!

Bring back Letraset!

Barry

17th Mar 2011, 10:27 pm	#1
radiotomcats Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Leicester Posts: 23	Font constructor/builder programs. We have a problem (Houston). Seriously, With great care I decided to rinse a glass tuning dial, result? the letters and numbers rapidly started to float away. I managed to blot it dry and save enough to reconstruct it. Has any body tried a Font constructor program, I would like to 'lift' electronicly the remaning letters, I am sure I can find a complete alphabet, to make a font that I type in rather than a hugely laborious 'cut and paste' exercise. Once I have the font I can use 'Photoshop' to do the job and then print on to a transparency. The program will have to include different colours. I have spent hours trolling the web looking for a suitable font, the set is french and I suspect from the 1940s.I have scanned the remains and can 'post' if need be.

19th Mar 2011, 12:40 pm	#2
arjoll Dekatron Join Date: May 2006 Location: Invercargill, New Zealand Posts: 3,458	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. Have you tried scanning and uploading it to WhatTheFont?? You may get some kind of match there.

19th Mar 2011, 9:19 pm	#3
GMB Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay) Posts: 3,099	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. To create a font that works properly starting just with some artwork is more difficult than you might think and is really not worth doing unless you have a serious ongoing need for it. Get it wrong and you will spend that much time fiddling about that you might as well assemble the final result you want by cutting and pasting. I was involved with doing this professionally, and we charged serious money (thousands) to make a font, which may give an idea of the work involved.

21st Mar 2011, 6:15 pm	#4
Henenen Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London, UK. Posts: 81	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. Please post your scan radiotomcats. There's also http://www.identifont.com/identify.html if WhatTheFont doesn't crack it (it's a bit more laborious).

24th Mar 2011, 7:13 pm	#5
radiotomcats Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Leicester Posts: 23	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. Re Fonts. I have tried attach the scan I made of my damaged tuning dial.Its a large bitmap file and does not want to attach I have had a look round various font websites and I think the best bet would be one of the 'Gill sans seriph' fonts. If you would like to see the scan let me know your e-mail address.

24th Mar 2011, 7:48 pm	#6
Dave Moll Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK Posts: 6,130	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. If it's a .BMP file, that's why you can't attach it. You will need to convert it to one of the listed types. __________________ Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

24th Mar 2011, 10:09 pm	#7
radiotomcats Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Leicester Posts: 23	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. Thanks Dave, I did a conversion via MS Paint and will try it. Attached Thumbnails

25th Mar 2011, 5:46 am	#8
twocvbloke Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Colne, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 527	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. If you can find it, Macromedia Fontographer was a pretty good program for making your own fonts, not sure if it does Cut & paste from image files, but worth a look...

25th Mar 2011, 12:02 pm	#9
markhardy Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: County Durham/Weardale. Posts: 69	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. fontographer was an excellent piece of software, I used it loads way back in the day. I've got copies of it but they are mac versions, and require 'classic' or an OS 9 or earlier system it won't take a scanned image though, the scanned letters need to be vectorised. adobe streamline did it really well, or these days the live trace in illustrator does it, then copy and past the vector to fontographer if you've got a higher res version of the image I'll see what I can find - i've got around 15,000 fonts collected over 20 years of graphic design

12th Apr 2011, 12:00 pm	#10
Henenen Tetrode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London, UK. Posts: 81	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. Radiotomcat - Gill Sans would be a pretty close match, but it's not the font in your scan. Here's Gill Sans: http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/gill-sans/regular/ Now look at your A - the horizontal bar is really low. Also, in your N the diagonal doesn't join the bottom of the right vertical bar. The Y is also different. A, G, K, Q, S are good letters to compare when trying to match fonts - they each have unique properties that change from font to font (eg the tail on the Q). If you email me a higher resolution scan (any format will do) I can look closer through our old font books at work. (will PM you my address)

12th Apr 2011, 5:28 pm	#11
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Font constructor/builder programs. An artist friend of mine built up his own vector font in Adobe Photoshop, but you need to know what you are doing artistically - and its slow process. I suggest you use a standard font which is 'as close as' - and that probably means using Adobe fonts and not Microsoft look-a-likes - the closest matching will be the Linotype and Monotype printer's fonts widely used in Postcript files... and again these were mainly found in Mac based Corel/Adobe programs. Microsoft always was naff when it came to publishing! Bring back Letraset! Barry