August 9th, 2005

666

1\. which do you prefer: waking up, sleeping, or going to bed?

It's a toss-up between waking up and going to bed. I love transitions in general, and I usually go to bed when so tired that falling in feels really good. Getting up is fun when it goes right, but lately I've slept in too much and been rushed. I should fix that.

2\. whats your next big goal?

To get wheels — I'm looking at motorcycles and pondering getting some freedom to travel. That involves getting somewhat free of the business. Hiring dad was a critical first step, and that's helped a lot. Next, get the cashflow up, and get some time in other places in.

3\. do you prefer to be alone and productive, or out having fun with friends?

Out with a friend, singular, maybe two is my favorite, and in and being productive after that. Groups really don't entice me in any way. I really like a balance, since I do my best thinking when I'm with other people.

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    4\. what do you think friends respect most in you?

I wish I honestly knew, actually.

5\. and now for a silly one, what is your favourite typeface, why?

I can’t say I have just one favorite. I really like Georgia for its strong but well-hinted design. The strong serifs and wide glyphs are at the edge of what’s possible to make look really good. That’s enticingly different. I have a soft spot for the italic from Times New Roman, though I’ve since found details in other forms I like better. I really like Adobe’s typefaces. Caslon especially is elegant, though its form is lost on-screen.

I’m still seeking the perfect typeface for internationalized use. Accents and some characters like ł and ß look terribly out of place in most typefaces, obviously afterthoughts. Of all the broad-coverage faces I’ve seen, Gentium is the only that I like in a variety of languages. If I were to typeset using more than one European language in mixed paragraphs, it would be among my first choices.

All this coming from someone who gets to do type design work nearly never, but who loves watching handwriting and letterforms everywhere.

The right face is situational, a matter of setting, not of personal preference. If it’s 1200dpi laser-printed type on white bond paper, I can think of a handful. If it’s sinage for an industrial complex, none of those would be right. On-screen, the choices are far more limited.

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