They say words are powerful.

And They Are…

But what about individual letters? How much power do they carry?

Power & Importance of Lettering

Well, depending on the circumstance, the look of a letter can say a lot about the word it’s attached to. And in some cases, for some words, the look of a letter may even mean the difference between that word being cemented in the memory of generations, or lost in obscurity forever. I highly doubt the Coca-cola logo would be as memorable, had it been written in Times New Roman.

And the power of typography isn’t just restricted to logos. I wonder if the Declaration of Independence would carry the same weight, had it been written in something like Comic Sans.

“I wonder if the Declaration of Independence would carry the same weight, had it been written in something like Comic Sans.”

A Note About My Fonts

If you have a scrupulous eye, you may have noticed, for example, that the header fonts on my website look to have been chosen in quite a perfunctory manner from a typographical standpoint.

This is because shortly before I made my first post, I had the wild idea to strip down all the header fonts on my website, revert them back to the most basic typefaces I could get away with, and take a real shot at making my own fonts.

Yes, there are TONS of beautiful fonts to choose from in the world, but I need something specific, and I haven’t been able to find it yet.

I need my letters to be fantastical, and magical, but also peaceful, and tranquil — I need a font that makes people think of faeries and magical creatures, but that doesn’t overtly say that these stories are only for girls, or for boys — something to appeal to all children (and adults too) — something fun and exciting for people who love friendship and adventure, but slightly serious and a bit mysterious for readers who love a great epic fantasy. What I need is something unique to just my story. After all, every iconic story deserves an iconic font.

“... Every iconic story deserves an iconic font.”

Now, obviously, I’m not writing anything as important as the Declaration of Independence, and so enduring the lengthy process of learning to make my own fonts may seem like overkill.

Noteworthy Letters & Type Faces

I can understand how most people would agree that finding the right type form to tell a story might not seem like a big deal, but who can forget that chunky lighting bolt in the words Harry Potter?

Or those perfect little “three dot” flourishes, gracing the presence of a “Hobbiton” sign in The Lord of The Rings? (And don’t even get me started on the beauty that is the Elvish written word.)