Drawings of typefaces, new & old are generated in various ways. Regarding existing typefaces, digital conversion is at times, the only way to generate
the necessary artwork for our ATF/Benton Engraving Machines, but we consider
this a last resort. This is what we term 4th generation. The primary being
punches; secondary would be the matrices; third are the types cast from the matrices;
the last (or 4th generation), the images of the types on a printed page.
We have engraved matrices & cast types successfully from all four generations.
In all but the last, the drawings are done completely by hand, our format being
7 1/2", that of Goudy while at Deepdene. When the 2nd or 3rd generation is in
hand, a Nikon Optical Comparator is employed. In 4th generation work, the outer
parameters which define the character, are done with pen & ink. |
Regarding new or Proprietary typefaces, drawings in 7 1/2" format (from top of ascender to
bottom of descender), are done freehand, as did Goudy. Of course the format within
the format has been defined in the preliminary design work, i.e. Blackletter,
Classical Roman, Titling (the x-height and its relationship to the other characters).
The outer parameters are defined in pencil, confirmed in ink, then the
characters are inked in with a brush. The drawings are then reduced to 4.75",
montages are made to 5" height, & a maximum length of 9". Our photo engraver
them burns intaglio plates that become the master engraving plates for the
Benton Engraver. From a set of plates, we can engrave 6-24 point matrices. These
steps in the artwork are illustrated in the pictures. |