Font ❤️ Friday and Other Designery Things #10

Font ❤️ Friday and Other Designery Things #10 #fontlovefriday

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Whaheyyyy Double Digits - It’s Issue 10!
THANK YOU for subscribing! A few new people have joined, so thanks
for all being here. If you fancy reading what I’ve done in the past, have a look here for useful links on fonts, design and freelancing.

Onwards! What’s been happening this month? My son started his GCSEs. Wow, time’s flown! Feels like only yesterday I was reading to him and looking at beautiful illustrations in story books. And yes, I was probably looking at the fonts.

Whenever we create something, we have to think about the end user. You wouldn’t use comic sans for a bible. Or a script handwriting font for social media post text (pass me my glasses).

After the last issue of FLF, Molly Scanlan suggested a young font for the newsletter. It’s been specifically designed for primary schools. I know it’s not the most exciting, but it’s a clear and easy to read font. Its:

Molly writes: “When I was a teacher, it was frustrating trying to print things for the kids to read that were sans serif and didn't have the weird curly “a” or lower-case L as just a straight line. Twinkl is not the most beautiful, but there isn’t a curly “a” in sight!”

After a quick search, we found another two learner-friendly fonts. If you have an upcoming project for children or young adults, you might like to try Sasoon or Sidenote.

Credit: ilovetypography.

10 out of 10 for the presentation and infographics, Sidenote.
By the way, Molly also has a newsletter. It’s super short, unlike some 👀😂

FONTS

Celebrating 10 years ALEO
Designer Alessio Laiso (what a great name) created this slab serif font. A slab serif font has bits at the end of letters like serifs, but they’re blockier (hence the ‘slab’ bit).

In his words: ‘As of today, Aleo has been used over 30 million times per week on Google Fonts alone’. Wow! How’s that for a product portfolio?

You can download it here.

The great double act
I recently wrote a blog post, a newsletter intro, and a LinkedIn post on font pairings. Can you tell I’m a little obsessed by them? Headlines and body text need to work together. If they don’t partner well, it all goes wrong (just look at Phil and Holly!). That’s where Fontjoy can help. Only for fonts though, not daytime TV presenters….

Fontjoy is a free online tool where you can test which fonts work together. The online generator will have pairings ready for you in seconds. Apologies in advance – you’ll be there a while and might become addicted.

Fonts on TV/Films
When great entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte passed away I saw this poster for a film he starred in. Made me think about how fashion styles come in and out, as do fonts. The font used for the starring roles is Oring Title

It’s vintage, designed in 1938. To me it looks like a 1970s style, so it’s interesting which styles come back around and become en vogue again. We could use it now in 2023 and it would still fit in.

When they designed posters back then there was no luxury of computers. The typeset (words) were hand-placed using a drawing board and scamped together with glue. And before you ask, no I don’t remember those days!! But look how cool this poster is. You can read more on the poster fonts and design here.

DESIGNERY THINGS

Everyone can draw – Power to the Peeps!
Open Peeps is a website where you can make avatars of people. It’s made up of different assets - hair, faces, bodies, clothes. And it’s free! You can create online or download the assets to use offline.

If you feel like some positive procrastination (yes that’s a term) make your own here. They’re great for blogs, you could create your own comic book or just use them to inject some fun into your social media posts. Go for the pro version for 1,000s of illustrations.

Here’s me ;)

Snappy Snaps
I met Odi recently at a co-working session. He’s set up this very cool database of photographers for hire. If you’re on the lookout for one, or you’re a photographer yourself, take a look at the Photography for Hire website.

Stop! Collaborate and Listen
The Birmingham Design Festival is on from 8th - 9th June in, you guessed it… in Birmingham, UK. The creative, designery two-day event is relatively affordable compared with other similar events. It’s jam-packed with panel discussions, workshops and best of all you get to meet other designers.
You can book tickets here.

Image credit: Birmingham Design Festival

*Big sigh*… I’m going to miss the event again this year. But for a good reason – I’m going to Atomicon the following week! If you’re coming, please come and say hi. It’ll be nice to meet you.

FREELANCING

LinkedIn Legends
You! Yes, you! You can be a Legend!
How? By being part of a community and taking the ‘LinkedIn for Humans’ course, created by Sophie Cross. Some people think LinkedIn is just for corporate suited and booted types. Well, some of it is. But the platform’s changed loads, and you can be part of it. The course will help you to be yourself online, and ultimately gain work from it. It works – I know because I’ve done it!

The course only opens for enrolment a few times a year. You’ll get lifetime 24/7 access, but the doors close today.

Sophie offers all course students an affiliate link and I get £25 for each person who signs up using mine.

Last time the doors opened I raised £175 (plus £43.75 in Gift Aid) for the DEC Turkey and Syria disaster appeal.

So to be totally transparent - if you sign up using this link, I’ll get £25. And once again, I’ll donate it. Sign up here!

Go forth and be a Legend!

Money, money, money.
Why do we freelance? We love working for ourselves. For the freedom, the flexibility, and the finances.

Matthew Fenton writes a newsletter to freelancers every Sunday. It’s called Winning Solo. I love it! He tells it as it is.

Recently he wrote about money. Money can be a tough subject for us freelancers. We have to keep enough coming in, while also saving and paying the tax man. Have a read of Matthew’s take on managing money as a freelancer.

Ask Ange
A few freelancers have got in touch and asked for Zoom tea breaks. Some also ask for advice or to have a chat about freelancing. I love chatting (though I do have to work too…) and I love to hear from you. Like how Molly wrote back and told me about the Twinkle font!
Is there anything you might like to see here?
Something cool you’ve found out in the world? Fonty, designery, freelancingy?
I’ll feature it or answer your question and tag you in the next newsletter. And if you want to remain anonymous, that’s cool too. Just hit reply on this email. Let’s talk!

#FONTLOVEFRIDAY

Hot off the press!
You probably know by now…I design Freelancer Magazine! I don’t make editorial decisions – well, I might write the odd caption here or there ;)
So I was chuffed but nervous – imposter syndrome set in – when Sophie asked if I’d like “Newsletter Font Love Friday and Other Designery Things” to be featured in Issue 9. Well, as I got the text and the images ready to design the article, I saw that Austin Kleon, Nia Liza Carnello and Nick Parker were contributors in the same feature…! Erm…! I said not sure ‘cause they are HUGE, MASSIVE!!!

But I heard the voice say… well all of them started with just 1 subscriber too…and here I am in double digits on issue 10!

So people I’m gonna leave you with a quote (you know me, I do love a good quote):

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.” - Karen Lamb

Go for it - start that something you want to do.

My first TikTok my kids laughed at my music choice and gave me side eye.

Happy Friday!

Ange 🌈

P.S. Wish me luck, I’m taking part in the annual cycle tour Ride London this Sunday. I’ll be fashioning the BWOW cycle cap I designed; shout out if you see me… I’ll be needing that extra push to finish ;)

If you’ve found any fonts on your searches that you’d like to share, I’d love to know. I’ll feature you and the font in my next edition.

*designery – I have made up this word.