Let’s face it, creating PDFs is not just about picking out fonts for free. Sure, you can show you how to just import fonts from a word document to Procreate itself, but why not save yourself time and effort and learn to create a PDF right from your word processing program? What if, after all that work, you want to convert that PDF file into a Word document? What if, when you try to open that Word document in Word, nothing appears there? That’s when you realize you’ve spent so much time importing fonts that the font files were never even close to being ready to be read by Microsoft Word.
This is an example of what happens when someone has made a decision to create a hand-drawn style of fonts, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Palatino Linotype, or some other type of hand-drawn typeface, for use in their professional work. These kind of fonts are not easy to come by, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to create excellent quality graphics. One might say that an architect who was designing a building wouldn’t want to use real brick and concrete instead of CAD drawings, but in many cases, architects actually do use these kinds of hand-drawn fonts, sometimes in rooms that aren’t actually part of the building. In fact, when someone looks at an architectural rendering, the very first thing that usually catches their eye is the intricate nature of the hand-drawn nature of the drawing, followed quickly by the illusion of scale and the quality of detail given to the building.
There are many ways one could try pairing a font with a graphic, such as trying pairing Times New Roman with a nature scene. It’s not that difficult. All one has to do is pick out the background and the foreground for the lettering, then match it up to some existing graphics, such as leaves, branches, flowers, etc. If you find this to be too difficult, then you might try pairing a different typeface, like a brush font. Another option would be to use a script font, especially a large script font, as this kind of font tends to look more decorative and is more suitable for calligraphy work.
If you’re just working on your own iPad, there are some great apps available for creating fonts for Procreate. One such program is Fontographer, which will allow you to browse a large gallery of free fonts and see them side by side on a page. Each of the fonts is labeled with its creator, so you can quickly find the correct fonts for your project. Plus, with the many available fonts via the internet, you’ll likely be able to find a font file that matches the style of your graphics perfectly.
Of course, there are times when you need to create letter designs for your Procreate projects. There’s nothing like having a blank document with no heading or other graphics to dictate the look and feel of your lettering. In these cases, you will have to either load your own graphics or use fonts from the internet. You can either load your own artwork or use graphics from the internet, such as ITC Stock graphics, to replace your own artwork in your fonts for Procreate. Just be sure that you keep your original graphics for future reference.
If you don’t already know how to sketch your own hand-crafted designs, take some time to study some basic drawing tutorials. Sketching is the foundation of all fine arts, and is an essential element in all types of fine art, not just lettering. Many artists begin their work by sketching out their most beloved characters and scenes. Once they’ve finished creating a first draft, they edit and revise it until they’re content. If you have access to a computer, you should already have access to a variety of tutorial software, including programs like Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator, or Fireworks. These tutorials will teach you how sketch your own hand-crafted designs using a variety of different tools and softwares.
