Way back in 2012 we published our first Icon Font round-up, which included both premium and free sets, in this post we have collected 50 of the best free icon fonts that have been released since then. Here they are:
Read the rest of this entry here: Top 50 Free Icon Fonts for Web Design.
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Learn how to add custom icons to the custom shape tool in Photoshop. This will speed up your design time
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Fact: There are over 1.2 gazillion fonts in the world. Well, maybe that’s not an exact figure (or a real one at that), but if you’ve recently looked online in a hunt after the perfect serif, sans, display, or dingbat, you’ll have noticed that there are countless options.
The perfect typeface can make the difference between a good design and a great one (though I can’t say that it will bring a mediocre piece to greatness). The wrong typeface, however, can make an otherwise great design suffer.
I’ll spare you the smug jokes about Comic Sans and Papyrus, but in today’s fast-paced design world, using notoriously over-used typefaces is a thing of the past. With easily accessible font-creation software, and online seller markets like Creative Market, practically anyone can design and create their own fonts. Today, I’d like to share with you my own experience, and some of the things I’ve learned over the last year.
When I opened my Creative Market shop a little over a year ago, my intention was to create and share things that I love, and that would be useful to other designers. I was drawn to creating clip art and patterns, and had never thought about the seemingly daunting task of creating a font! It wasn’t long before I was overcome with inspiration and itching to try my hand at typeface design.
A peek at some of the fonts I’ve created since opening my Creative Market shop.
A quick Google search led me Paintfont.com, an admittedly amateurish program made to let anyone draw and scan their characters, upload their printable, and install their own font in minutes!
PaintFont’s printable template
Let me be the first to tell you: it’s far from perfect. Once scanned, the program will slightly smooth and simplify your scanned characters, and you don’t get any say in the kerning, and as for any tweaks you want to make, you’ll need to start over… it’s basically hit or miss.
I made these slight imperfections work for me, by creating purposely awkward, hand-drawn fonts, and have been really pleased with the positive feedback that came my way.
If it sounds unappealing, perhaps you’ll reconsider when I tell you that professional font creation software (called font editors) can cost hundreds of dollars, and PaintFont is free. I would definitely recommend trying it out, just to test out if type design is for you.
It can be intimidating to try and dip your toe in what is a super-saturated market. But remember, you’re the best person at being you, so instead of trying to mimic what’s already out there, find your voice as a designer and share it with the rest of us!
Your sketchbook is the perfect place to start brainstorming ideas for a new typeface
A good place to start is creating your own handwriting into a font (as long as it’s legible) people love unique hand-drawn styles.
I recently splurged on Fontlab Studio, one of the more well-known font editors. By splurged I mean I cried as I typed in my credit card number. (Just kidding. I only cried when I actually opened FontLab for the first time, more on that in a moment.)
But I considered it an investment: as I make better fonts, I can feel comfortable charging more for them, and eventually it will pay off.
Another popular font editor is Glyphs Mini, but there are many more options out there, so do some research to find which editor is right for you.
Glyphs is just one of many font editors out there
As I mentioned, I was taken aback by all the menu options in the program. I thought that knowing what ‘kerning’ and ‘leading’ meant was enough. Boy was I wrong!
Luckily, you don’t have to utilize all (or even most) of the options, but you will have to take the time to learn quite a few of the basics.
FontLab Studio
You’ll find plenty of resources to help you learn the ropes, and many forums and friendly advice from fellow type designers are available on the Internet.
Creating a font is a labor of love. From finding a way to make all your characters work cohesively, to slowly but surely fine tuning them in illustrator, and finally painstakingly perfecting the kerning, seeing a typeface through from idea to fruition can take weeks and months.
Is that a long time? In my opinion, yes. Is it awesome to see some of your fonts adorning some amazing designs and products out in the world, and to know that you’re a part of it? Big yes.
I’d love to know, have you given typeface design a try? Did you like it? What tips would you share with someone who’s eager to give it a go?
Products Seen In This Post:
Ghilky Gerdian is a 27 year old motion graphic designer from Bandung, Indonesia. He’s also the man behind the Creative Market shop, Typopotamus.
“New Shop on the Block” is a series that introduces you to the finest new shop owners in the Creative Market community. Help us give these talented individuals a warm welcome!
How did you become a “creative”?
The son of a journalist mother and politician+lecturer father, artistic endeavors aren’t really something that run in my family. Even looking at my extended family, I’m still the only one who got into art, but that hasn’t held me back. In 2010, I graduated from the National Technology Institute (ITENAS) in Bandung, Indonesia with a degree in visual communication design. After graduating, I spent two and a half years working as a graphic designer for an advertising and design agency, before resigning to pursue work as a freelancer.
It can be a scary thing to leave a 9-5 and jump into freelance work full time. What did that journey look like for you?
As I previously mentioned, I’m actually a motion graphic designer. Interestingly enough, I didn’t learn much about animation while I was in school. My journey towards animation really started when I was a child. In elementary school, my teacher once asked our class what we would like to be when we grew up. Many of the other students gave the usual answers of “doctor,” “president,” and “singer.” I, on the other hand, was the only one who spoke up and said that I was going to be an animator (because I liked watching cartoons so much). So, when a friend of mine needed help on a motion graphic project he was working on about two years ago, I decided this was my chance to follow that dream. I took the opportunity to learn as much as I could about motion graphics. That was the beginning of an all new, and much better life for me. In all honesty, it was a dream come true.
Now, I spend my days working on motion graphic projects from clients in the USA and Switzerland. As a freelancer, I’m able to work from home, where I can take care of my son with my wife, and watch my little boy grow everyday.
Aww, that’s definitely a HUGE plus! I know freelance work can often lead to long hours, strange hours, and a hefty amount of stress. Is this something you’ve dealt with?
I love my freelance motion graphic work, but, as with anything else, it can get stressful and repetitive at times.
How do you combat that?
When I start to feel this way, I enjoy turning to other creative areas to help relax and clear my mind. For example, I started playing around with typography to take my mind off of other stressful projects. I never thought I would be able to create a font, but I friend of mine was nice enough to teach me the ropes, and I quickly found that I enjoyed the font creation process. It’s not easy work, and now and then you can find yourself getting a little bored as you’re working to create every single glyph, but when everything comes together and it’s time to test things out, that hard work pays off.
That’s such a great tip! Is there any one area of typography that interests you the most?
I specifically enjoy creating handmade fonts. Generally I’ll use drawing pens, brushes and ink, and/or brush pens to get the look I’m going for. One time, I even experimented with one of my two year old son’s pens. The point of the pen was broken, and it created a great grunge affect. It turned out so well, that I decided to add it to my Creative Market shop!
That’s an awesome story! It’s so great when creative experiments turn out that way. Speaking of Creative Market, what compelled you to open up shop here?
My very first introduction to Creative Market was though a friend of mine who was already selling fonts here. At the time, I was selling motion graphic templates on another marketplace, and I decided to add a few of my templates to Creative Market as well. I quickly noticed that there wasn’t a motion graphics category here, but my friend encouraged me to start a font shop. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, “I can start doing manual drawing again!” I was excited just thinking about it. So now, here I am, a font seller on Creative Market.
You said, “again.” I’m guessing that means you were interested in drawing in the past?
In collage, i was actually pretty good with hand drawn illustration. I had the opportunity to do some illustration work for a couple local hardcore bands. My inspiration, and idol, is Dan Mumford so I often practice and apply some of his style to my illustrations. Even though I enjoy the 2D motion graphic work that I get to do every day, I do sometimes miss manually drawing with a pen and paper.
It’s so great that your Creative Market shop can help bring some of that love for drawing back into your life. Have you found Creative Market to be beneficial in any other ways?
Being a part of Creative Market has already been an amazing journey. I’ve gained a new perspective on working in this modern age. I’ve lost the stress of crazy deadlines, angry clients, and traffic jams. Most importantly, the work I’m doing makes me happy, which is incredibly important for a creative worker.
What would you say is the most valuable aspect of being a part of this creative community? The Creative Market community can inspire people in so many ways. People are inspired to sell their design, inspired to try something new, or even inspired to take a big leap in their life. Everyone here is extremely welcoming; rather than being full of unhealthy competition, they respect each other.
Okay, last question, do you have any exciting new projects or products in the works for your Creative Market shop?
I have a couple new typefaces that I’m currently working on. Like i said earlier, the work of Dan Mumford is a huge inspiration for me, so one of the typefaces I’m working on is kind of grungy with some detailed lines and curves. When I create a font, I try to focus more on what I want to create, and less on what I think is going to sell really well. While selling my products is important to me, I find that I’m happier working when I enjoy myself and put less pressure on the process. I really hope to finish these typefaces soon and add them to my shop.
We all have days when we feel like we’re just not hitting the mark. Maybe the pixels aren’t moving quite right or the coloring is off the tiniest amount. If that happens to you (like it happens to me all the time), then take a moment and check out these GIFs by Tumblr user Oweeo. They’ll remind you about the stuff that matters, and get you back going on the right track.
It’s that time of the week again, a chance for you to sit back and be inspired by some of our favorite web and mobile designs from the past week.
You may also like to browse the Web Inspiration Archives.
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One of the most critical aspects in almost everything we do in today’s corporate world is graphic design. When you build a website, it’s the design that would make page after page appealing enough for the visitors to decide to stay and see what else you have to offer. In marketing a brand, it’s also the design that creates the mood for the target audience and makes them realize how the products that a particular brand offers fit their personality perfectly. This is why it’s important to invest in graphic design. But the problem that graphic designers usually have is this: how much of an investment should a client put into my work?
Before figuring out how much your rate should be, it’s important to realize just how important your work is. A lot of graphic designers have no idea how much to ask for because they fail to see the importance of their work. Knowing what value your product gives to your clients would also somehow help you quantify the value of the work you do.
With every client you work with, you immediately become responsible for creating an identity for them. It’s not about you or who you are as a designer. It’s about what the client wants and what suits them the most. If you fail to give the client an identity that describes them perfectly, you also fail to give them the value that they paid for.
Your work is the main ingredient in allowing consumers to recognize a specific brand. You wouldn’t know it’s a Nike store unless you see that swoosh. You’ll recognize a McDonald’s from far away the moment you see those golden arches towering over one of their restaurants. You see anything red and white, and you automatically think of Coke. This is how huge design’s impact is on a brand. And this impact is what you create as a designer.
Your work as a designer is a form of communication. Through the design you build, your clients are able to communicate with their target audiences and relay their main message. Do they want to tell their customers that they’re a fun business to work with? Do they want to show that they mean business? Do they want a customer to feel safe with them? These messages can only be delivered to each customer if you come up with an effective design.
Let’s face it, any business that has an unappealing design would struggle to retrain their customers no matter how impressive their products or services are. It’s just hard to take a business seriously if they give you that impression that they don’t even know how to represent themselves effectively. This is what makes businesses lose clients, and of course, lose their chance of profit. Your work is something that would reel prospects in. It’s that neon sign that points any business out to customers and tells them that this is a better investment than the others.
These major contributions make you an integral part of your client’s setup. These are the things that you should remember in trying to come up with that perfect pricing scheme for the work that you do.
Before coming up with a final price, there are quite a few questions that you need to ask yourself first. These questions would allow you to come up with the most reasonable price possible for each service that you render.
Once you have answered these questions, it would be a whole lot easier to figure out whether the price you are asking is reasonable and fair both to you and the client. Remember that you want to charge a reasonable rate while still staying competitive.
Coming up with your rates is no easy feat. There will always be a number of factors to consider. If you focus on the right things however, it’s easier to get a clear perspective and figure out what the fairest price would be. Remember that in this line of work, there is always a risk of either charging too much, or charging too little.
Here are a few things that you should remember:
Don’t be afraid to give your client a price where you will actually make some profit. This advice is something that beginners should never forget. A lot of beginners think that it’s just about gaining experience for now. They give their clients such a low price because they feel that they do not have enough experience to demand for something that would actually give them a little extra.
Make sure the price you ask for does not just cover the costs. And definitely, you should never think about giving your clients a price where you lose out, either. Give them a price that would give you a reasonable profit to cover the effort, the sweat, and the mental energy that you drained as you worked on that project.
It always boils down to a question between charging a flat rate and charging an hourly rate. A lot of designers charge an hourly rate because this means that every minute that they are working is paid. However, clients are often wary of this system because they feel that they might be billed higher than necessary.
This is why it is extremely important to make sure that every client you work with has a clear picture painted in their mind the moment you tell them that you charge by the hour. Have a clear timeline of every step of the process. Show them the deadlines and potential problems that could cause a few delays. And whenever a problem comes up, be open to the client about it. This way, they know that every hour that they pay for really is worth it.
A flat rate is always easier for clients to accept. However, you should also set a few boundaries when you charge a flat rate. You may be charging a low flat rate for a project so huge that you end up on the losing end. Make sure you define the services included with a specific project because the client might end up loading you up with a bunch of tasks, thinking that the rate they paid for includes everything on their mind.
Make your rates clear and specific. You could tell them that basic graphic design would cost them 0, but if they want you to handle the entire project, there would be an additional 0 for that. Have a list like this so that clients can easily choose the services they want and pay the flat rate for each service. You can even package a few services together and come up with a single rate for that to make it easier.
A lot of graphic artists actually charge extra should they encounter difficult clients. Remember that the more demanding a client is, the more tiring it would also be for you. It could literally drain all your creative juices, making work a little too hard for you. This could become a potential problem especially if you have another project lined up.
Before starting on any project, do some research first. Are these clients easy to get along with? How demanding are they? Look for other people they might have worked with in the past. This would allow you to have a clear picture of what you are getting yourself into the moment you sign that project agreement or contract.
You can’t stay at a single rate for the rest of your career. Especially when you work freelance, it’s always up to you to reward yourself with a raise every now and then. So how do you figure out when to give yourself a raise and start demanding more from your clients?
The moment you get swamped with work, this is the perfect time for you to raise your rates. Being offered project after project means that your services are in demand, something that you should take advantage of. It’s saying, “If you really want me to work on your project, you have to pay the price.”
Some ask for 50%, while some ask for 25%. This depends on your costs and if you have enough money to cover for them while the project is underway. This does not only ensure that you have a working fund to support the initial phases of the project, this also ensures that the clients stick around the moment the project starts. This has happened over and over again, with graphic designers working so hard on projects where the clients suddenly disappear. They end up losing a lot of time and money that was not even covered by the client.
You could also tell the clients that this deposit is non-refundable. This is an even better security measure for you, in case they suddenly decide to say that they’ve changed their mind and they want their money back.
If it boils down to a critical negotiation, always start at a high amount. Think ahead and play different scenarios in your mind. Always think about the numbers that they would throw at you. “If I ask for this, how much would they want to take out of that amount?”
When you do your computation, you have to make sure that the point where you’ll be coming up with the compromise is the point where you want to be in the end. You can’t ask for 00 if that’s the rate that you really want. You start at 00, which they could lower down to 00. Who knows, you could even ask for 00 after that and end up with 0 more of what you initially set out to get.
Just because you already have a set price list does not mean that you cannot negotiate any longer. You also have to be flexible, otherwise, clients could turn away and get somebody else no matter how badly they want you to be on their team.
You could throw in an extra service in case they opted for a really high package and are asking for a discount, or you could convince them to get a few extra services with the promise of 10% discount.
What does everybody else charge for their services? Always base your price on this. No matter how great you think you are, your potential clients will always have a few other options up their sleeves. This means that the moment they decide that you’re just not worth it, it will be easy for them to invest that budget onto someone else.
If you do end up charging them a little higher than what everyone else is asking for, always be ready to justify this. You may have more experience over the competition, or the tools that you use may be more advanced than what they have. You may also be able to deliver the results they need within a smaller timeframe.
Some graphic designers end up saying yes to an unreasonable offer just because they want the client to stick with them. If you believe that it’s a budget that you cannot work with, don’t be afraid to say no. Remember that for you to be able to deliver top results, you also need the necessary resources to make it work.
If a client is trying to pull your price down to an unreasonable amount, just say no and walk away. If that’s how badly they need your services, then they would understand that they also have to pay the right price for it.
Here are three basic formulas that you can adopt in case you are still confused about how to come up with a pricing package.
Just figure out how much your total costs are. Look at what you are hoping to earn by the end of the year and divide it with the number of working hours. This should give you a total per hour rate that you can base your salary from.
This should give you a pretty good idea on how to price package rates. Create a table on the complexity levels and how much the difference would be as the project become more challenging.
This is a pricing usually used for outsourced work. Of course, the multiplier that you want to use would still depend on the resources, tools, and other things that you would need. The bigger the project, the bigger your multiplier could also be.
Remember that when it comes to pricing, there is no exact formula that’s right for everyone. The price you ask for would still depend on the circumstances. Do you still have a few other clients lined up? Is this a project that you want to work on so badly? Would working on this project take up all of your time that you wouldn’t have time to work on other projects for quite a long period?
Make sure that you know who you are as a graphic designer and how great your work actually is. From here, always put that value into every price that you ask for. Remember that each cent that the client pays you defines how much you are worth as a professional. Make sure the price really represents you, and does not cheapen your work, nor does it exaggerate what you can really accomplish as an artist.
Products Seen In This Post:
Column is a free, fully editable website PSD thats a little quirky. I’ve used some bright and vibrant colours for
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