I’ve had an aversion to built-in fonts lately. If you can’t tell by looking at justlucky’s portfolio you’ll see a lot of newer custom typography work. I have been finding ways to insert custom typography wherever possible. You could say I am obsessed. It started with me just copying work that I liked in my personal time. I would sketch in my Moleskins for hours just to get a feel for the type. I still do.

I have noticed a heightened level of satisfaction that comes from this approach. I almost feel like a cheat when I type in a sentence in Gotham. There is nothing wrong with using these fonts, they are excellent tools for designers. But every time I use a built-in font I don’t really learn the font — And usually I don’t think to tweak it much.

1,000 people can use the same font just by typing it out and selecting a predetermined weight option. There is nothing unique about that. Every time I work on a project and make my own typography I become more skilled at using type. The great thing is it doesn’t have to be perfect to be compelling. Every project is an opportunity to actualy learn your craft by getting your fingers dirty.

It may not be perfect but it will be you and I promise there are people out there that love you.