The Process of a Material TypefaceKatie Strahl

Material Exploration

I decided to hit up Hobby Lobby, since I was there for a zipper anyway, and I stumbled upon some googley eyes that were a bit more realistic than the standard ones. Because cheerios were mentioned in one of the example projects, I figured these small, round shapes in various colors, as well as the circles within them, could be used to create something interesting.For the rest of my objects, it was as simple as looking around my dorm. In my office supply drawer, I found some old sticky tabs that were half clear and half colored, with three colors to choose from. When stuck together, they could create all kinds of shapes, but are very simple rectangles. I would consider them my least favorite item. I also had some base hair clips that could be used to make bows and the like, and when opened or closed, create different shapes. From a slanted “l” to a curvy “V”. I found some batteries to work with as well, which could be used to make a statement about power, and offer both lines and circles as cynlinders. Even more than that were the spools of thread, which not only are cylinders, but came in various sizes, and the thread that came off of them could be used to create even more shapes.

Googley Eyes

Sticky Tabs

Hair Clips

The hairclips proved somewhat more useful than the googley eyes or the sticky tabs. They were able to stand upright on

their own to create a slight curve, but could also lay completely flat with an

interesting shape. This was only able to stretch across two typefaces however, so I

moved on to my other usefu materials.

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Set 2

Batteries

The batteries also proved to be very useful, even though they could only stretch across two variations as well. With the two sizes I had, AA and AAA, I managed to create 6 uppercase and 6 lowercase letters, but I didn’t foresee it going much further than that.

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Set 2

Thread Spools

When I got to the spools of thread, I could tell it would go far. I had a lot of

motivation because I do take up sewing on occasion, and I know a lot about it. It was fun to pull out the old dusty spools of thread, some of them borrowed from

my mother, who hasn’t sewn in a long time. These spools gave me the most

variation initially, and in fact gave me even more variation when it was time to

deconstruct them.

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Material Name:In Depth

Analysis of Thread

Names: spools, thread spools, thread, yarn, fiber, strand, line, spindle, twine.Uses: stitching fabric together, matching said fabric, repairing and assembling clothing, stuffed toys, and even some furniture.FeaturesColor - every color under the sunWeight - very light, also varied. Usually under a pound.Texture - anything from smooth plastic to thick woolSmell: like wool and dustTaste - NoSize - commonly shorter than two inches, and under an inch wide.Inherent Properties - Cylindrical, soft, graspable, small, convenient, useful, versatile, shapely, unravellingRaw Materials/Processes - It is spun into very thin string from polyester, cotton, silk, or synthetic fibers. Polyester is a synthetic fiber that is made from petroleum byproducts left over in the manufacturing process of crude oil. The polyester begins as chips, which are then spun into long filaments. These long filaments are twisted together and then stretched and tested. Weak sections are removed and the strong sections are bound together and stretched again to form long threads. A silk worm spins a cocoon by secreting a silk string from a gland under its mouth. The silk can be harvested while the worm is still in the cocoon. The resulting fiber produces nett silk. The silk can also be harvested once the moth leaves the

cocoon. In that case, the resulting fiber is called Schappe silk. Nett silk is naturally very soft and smooth. Schappe silk is rough and requires softening in the harvesting and manufacturing process. Cotton is picked in the fields and then packed into bales. The bales contain dirt and debris and have to be broken down and cleaned by a specialized machine. These cleaned fibers are then combed and spun into threads. These thin threads are spun together to form cotton sewing thread. The thread is strengthened by being pulled across a flame and singed and also through immersion in caustic soda.Parts - Thread, spool, label

ConceptFor my first title, I chose “Be Twine”. Thread and

sewing in general are associated with the loving nature of patience, which is needed to sew. Many handmade gifts are made by sewing as well, and are kept as centimental items that have “love in

every stitch.” However, the word ‘twine’ is not the same thing as thread, and would leave the person

interpreting my material typeface a little confused. Being someone who sews every now and then, I have come across many sewing puns on several tutorial websites. Despite being sick of these, it seemed to be my best bet for a new name. The

most common one is using the word ‘sew’ in place of ‘so’, so I took that and ran with it, coming up

with “Sew Ready”. I was still very able to make the letters in this phrase, and get creative with them

as well, such as with my environment.

Variation 1

Variation 2

Variation 3

Typeface in an EnvironmentFor my first title, I chose “Be Twine”. Thread and sewing in general are associated with the loving nature of patience, which is needed to sew. Many handmade gifts are made by sewing as well, and are kept as centimental items that have “love in every stitch.” However, the word ‘twine’ is not the same thing as thread, and would leave the person interpreting my material typeface a little confused. Being someone who sews every now and then, I have come across many sewing puns on several tutorial websites. Despite being sick of these, it seemed to be my best bet for a new name. The most common one is using the word ‘sew’ in place of ‘so’, so I took that and ran with it, coming up with “Sew Fine”. It has a lot of similar letters to the original as well, so I already knew how I wanted to handle several of them.

Photoshoot

Version 1

Version 3

Version 2

How to process a material typefacein 5 easy steps.

Experiment

Analysis

Concept

Refine

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