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Designing 'Invictus' Print for Framing Using Zapfino
Posted by jason.siegel in
15 May 2010 — 12:46pm
15 May 2010 — 12:46pm
I'm a young teacher who is interested in framing a print of William Ernest Henley's poem Invictus in the complicated typeface Zapfino. I am experienced with computers, but not at all with digital typography. Zapfino Extra has many guidelines for usage, and this is probably not a job I can handle myself. Not to mention, I don't own the font family and it's very expensive.
Do you have any suggestions about how I might be able to have this done? A copy of the poem and a couple links of interest are provided. Thank you!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapfino
http://www.linotype.com/2762-17899/tipsandrecommendations.html
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Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
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15 May 2010 — 12:56pm
Also, I have learned that Mac OS X includes Zapfino, and its word processor Pages appears to modify the glyphs according to the characters adjacent. Noting this, it might be possible for me to do this myself, but I think I would still need some guidance. Thanks.
15 May 2010 — 2:26pm
Sorry to spam my own topic, but attached is a quick attempt, still using Pages. I believe I'll need to switch to Illustrator to access the hyper-flourishes.
15 May 2010 — 5:23pm
Okay, well apparently I'm talking to myself, now, but I was able to find the glyph selector on Mac, so I took the liberty of adding some style. I hope it's not too much. Can anyone please provide their thoughts? I would like this to look professional.
Also, I'm noticing the new version is somewhat harder to read though I payed more attention to avoiding glyph contact between the lines. Is this because the flourishes are larger?
16 May 2010 — 12:47am
This must be the best specimen of Zapfino I've seen in a while. I always see Zapfino on garbage bins and in ugly logos.
I had trouble understanding the poem but readability was fine. I wouldn't worry about how easy it is to read this from a distance. When you're reading from close proximity a major problem is character recognition, you know if a certain letter looked like another or if it doesn't look like any at all. But in the case of Zapfino it's such a well-drawn typeface with a very solid calligraphic background and all the flourishes and the styling do not add any ambiguity.
I think you've done a great job on the second one, you made it more even in texture. I would be tempted to set WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY - INVICTUS in serif capitals. Something like Hoefler All Caps at a height a little larger than the Zapfino x-height in the text. Naaah forget I said that you probably want the name of the author to be prominent.
Other than that add more margin especially on the sides (if you can I don't know maybe this is the ratio you're working with).
Oh and if you're interested in Herman Zapf's lettering take a look at this video.