osmo sans medium





I decided to start my font journey with the thinnest of the three weights and with lowercase letters. This approach allowed me to establish a foundation for which I could develop the overall look and feel of my font. I focused on achieving clean lines, consistent spacing, and a harmonious look. I created consistency with the use of circles. This also set the tone for the geometric nature of the font. I began with the letter a and methodically worked through the alphabet.
Quickly, I realised that there were letters that I would need to spend more time on and evidently left them to the end (s, m, k, y).




osmo sans thin (lowercase)





The vision for my font was clear – modern, open, and adaptable. I knew I wanted to offer three different stroke weights to cater to a wide range of design needs. However, one of my first major challenges emerged when I attempted to create the ‘heavy’ version of my font. I realised that not all parts of the letters were proportionately bolder, leading to an uneven and inconsistent appearance. On that note, I still haven’t entirely finished the third and heaviest weight. I have run into ‘road blocks’ and am constantly ‘umming and arring’ about the thickness of arms and adjusting my curves. I want it bold but ‘I want it to feel like osmo sans’. I want it to be legible but ‘I want it to feel like osmo sans’

Anyway… watch this space and I will eventually release that third and final pesky bold.

Creating a font is a labour-intensive endeavour, requiring constant iteration and refinement. I regularly revisited and adjusted each character, fine-tuning curves, perfecting proportions, and addressing any inconsistencies that arose. The inconsistencies were certainly exacerbated when I increased the stroke for my medium and heavy weights. Checking in the earlier stages how my shapes and letters interact with thicker lines is something I will absolutely implement into my process in the future.




experimental letterforms and shapes





Another significant challenge was crafting uppercase letters that felt cohesive with the lowercase while maintaining its distinct character. It was essential to avoid the trap of generic uppercase forms that often plague fonts. I had to strike a delicate balance between uniformity and individuality.

As I progressed through the alphabet, I discovered the joy of crafting numbers within my font. Numbers presented an opportunity to push the boundaries and get funky with it as they remain more recognisable and legible than letters. They allowed me to experiment with various shapes and angles, adding a unique flair to my font.




osmo sans numerals thin & medium





Despite the challenges and moments of frustration, the font creation process was undeniably rewarding. Seeing my vision come to life, letter by letter and number by number, was an immensely satisfying experience. I had created a modern, relatively open and geometric font with three-ish stroke weights that could step into both titles and body copy.

Creating my first font was a journey filled with creative exploration and challenges. From tackling the intricacies of varying stroke weights, to maintaining cohesion between uppercase and lowercase letters, every step taught me valuable lessons about precision, consistency, and the nuances of typography. As I continue to refine my font and expand its character set, I'm reminded that the world of typography is a vast canvas waiting to be painted with the strokes of creativity. Whether you're a seasoned typographer or new to design, I encourage you to embark on your own font creation journey – it's a venture that will broaden your horizons and inspire utility for creativity.




Download osmo sans here

By: Bailey Paties
13 Sep 2023