tm The XX

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[Click Pixel in the font viewer, then click Shift+Pixel four times to view the font correctly]

I love it when fonts come together like this one.

It started as me thinking what can I do for the 'twenties' that isn't 1920s. (thalamic has done those before!). The idea that I was toying with was doing each letter on a grid of 20 parts (blocks, stripes, etc.). There is already a stripes font in development (which is unlikely to be shared any time soon). I thought maybe I could convert it to a 20 stripe version. But it's too optical illusion-y and requires blocks of free time at a stretch for me to visualize the letters, which I don't have. Then the idea came to just develop a new block that says 20 on it and use it as a pixel for some pixel font. Which led to thinking an XX is 20 in Roman numerals. So I thought develop a grid that reads XX in multiple ways and directions. 

With that basic idea, I started tinkering with the fontstructor and soon realized that I will need a lot of bricks. That necessitated making custom X and O bricks. That gave rise to the basic grid block of 7x7 grid that can be used as something that can be "carved" to form various letters. Better in theory than practice. M is OK, but a 7 brick wide A is just too wide. Plus the larger Xs were too white. Had to create more custom bricks to take away some of the whiteness that left the X still visible. These additional custom bricks were cumbersome to make...mainly because of my limited ability to visualize which brick placed where in a 4x4 grid will create what shape but also because I was using quarter brick corner triangles which meant that each brick of the 4x4 grid was internally a 2x2 grid as well. So a 8x8 grid really with 64 internal smaller bricks. Some bricks required making a custom brick and then merging it with another custom brick several times over to have the correct custom brick. Of course, I didn't know if the pain-stakingly created custom brick will be appropriate or not. 

Much experimentation later, finally figured out what to do with this idea. Once all the custom bricks were created and the basic look of the font developed, then it was just a matter of placing the bricks in the right place. Often times not even that as one letter was just a modified version of another letter...like D and 3 are just a modified B; L and F are modified E, etc. 

This was supposed to be a joke entry that didn't take much time to make. It's still a joke entry not to be taken seriously...but it did take time...and provided puzzle-like geometric challenge to overcome. Very fun.

How could I not love fontstruct!?

15 Comments

That is some very nice and elegant ultra fine detail… 10/10

Comment by Bryndan W. Meyerholt (BWM) 2nd april 2021

minimum, so excited to see that name again. Quite the uniquely intricate design and a clever take on the "Twentiescomp" idea!

Comment by tortoiseshell 2nd april 2021

An exciting process and outcome. I could imagine one of these glyphs as a life size tapestry.

Comment by four 2nd april 2021

I'm with the people. A tapestry alphabet that would look ultra cool, I'm seeing it! Nice to see you here again, dear Master.

Comment by elmoyenique 2nd april 2021

Mesmerizing tapestry work. I think it deserves a demo picture.  10/10

Comment by Frodo7 2nd april 2021

BWM: Thanks

time.peace: Thanks. It's nice to know someone is looking out for you. Thank you.

four: Thanks. I'm searching for the right kind of cloth. Maybe then I can do something tapestry-ish.

elmoyenique: Thanks. I never left really.

frodo: Thanks. I'm working on the sample.

Comment by minimum 4th april 2021
Comment by minimum 4th april 2021

The above sample is a disqualifier image. It was not typed out as a font. Rather it was built pixel by pixel in Photoshop.

[Windows/Photoshop was just not rendering the font crisp enough for my liking. I'd rather the sample be correct and get disqualified than stay in the running and have incorrect sample.]

Comment by minimum 4th april 2021
Comment by minimum 18th april 2021

You did it! ??

Comment by elmoyenique 18th april 2021

nice!

Comment by blu. 18th april 2021

That is some really nice stitchwork you've done there. Sideways, it looks like a stick figure…

Comment by Bryndan W. Meyerholt (BWM) 19th april 2021

Implementing fonts in ways like this is always a joy to see

Comment by tortoiseshell 19th april 2021
Congratulations! FontStruct Staff have deemed your FontStruction worthy of special mention. “tm The XX” is now a Top Pick.
Comment by Rob Meek (meek) 26th april 2021

Congratulations one more time, Master! ❤️ 

Comment by elmoyenique 27th april 2021

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