38 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Fall 2013

We all know that words convey 

information. But did you know 

that the appearance of the letters 

can also speak?

The way letters look can change how we 

perceive words. It can convey an emotion, add 

formality, or even elicit a cultural response. 

“The words on traffic signs, for example, 

always look the same to help you recognize 

them quicker,” says font designer Rich Roat of 

Yorklyn, Delaware. “If they looked different, 

traffic signs would seem strange to us.”

Letters with a consistent aesthetic use the 

same font or typeface. But a font is more than 

letters. It’s a collection of all text characters, 

known as glyphs. Glyphs include numbers, 

symbols, and punctuation marks, as well as 

letters. Font designers package these glyphs 

into a cohesive font.

What they do

Font designers create fonts to meet a client’s 

needs or their own. Working at font design 

companies or for themselves, designers can 

approach a project in different ways. For 

example, they may work off an existing font 

or develop one from scratch. “Font design is 

a very independent type of trade,” Rich says. 

“Everyone can do it differently.”

Design. Font designers develop a font’s 

aesthetic based on its intended use. Designers 

consider the font’s message, whether it will 

serve as a headline or body text, and where 

it typically will be presented. For example, 

a movie poster might need a more casual, 

eye-grabbing font than one for an academic 

journal.

But designers must think about more than 

a font’s intended use. Fonts must be appealing and easy to read in different sizes and 

media, such as mobile devices and computer 

monitors. They must also stand out from the 

competition, which increasingly includes free 

fonts online.

Font design requires a lot of trial and 

error. Most font designers draw directly on a 

computer using a pen tablet and a font design 

program. Font designers who prefer to draw 

by hand must later scan and trace their drawings on a computer. Computers help designers 

experiment, manage different versions, and 

maintain a database of relevant glyphs.

The font design process can take one 

month to several years, depending on a font’s 

complexity. The more variations—such as 

bold or italics—and languages the font must 

support, the more complex it is, and the more 

glyphs a designer must create. A simple font 

might need 256 glyphs, but a complex one, 

such as Arial, might need more than 6,000 

glyphs.

After completing a font’s design, designers package the glyphs into a standard format 

that computers can read. They then sell it or 

distribute it for free.

Client interaction. Font designers, particularly those doing freelance or commission 

work, often interact with clients. Talking to 

clients helps designers determine the font’s 

requirements from the outset. Early design 

decisions, like the spacing between glyphs, 

are particularly important because they’re difficult and time consuming to change later on.

Designers also receive feedback from the 

client during the font design process. They use 

this feedback to better tailor the font to the 

client’s needs.

Other. Some font designers perform 

additional duties, such as researching fonts 

for ideas. Other designers, especially those 

who are self-employed, may need to promote 

Dennis Vilorio

Dennis Vilorio 

is an economist 

in the Office of 

Occupational 

Statistics and 

Employment Projections, BLS. He 

can be reached at 

(202) 691-5711 or 

vilorio.dennis@

bls.gov.

You’re a what?

Font designer
www.bls.gov/ooq • Fall 2013 39

collect employment and wage data specifically for font designers. Instead, BLS counts 

these workers among graphic designers. In 

May 2012, according to BLS, there were 

191,440 graphic designers employed in the 

United States. Their median annual wage was 

$44,150. Data are for wage and salary workers 

only and do not include the self-employed.

Challenges and rewards. Designing fonts 

is challenging, both technically and artistically. “You must have a balance of right and 

left brain skills,” Rich says. For example, font 

designers might need to program their own 

computer tools or determine a consistent spacing between each glyph.

Sometimes, font design is repetitive and 

time consuming. To make a font work in 

another language, for example, a designer 

needs to create many glyphs to present new 

characters, such as the accented vowels and 

inverted question marks required for Spanish. 

And even when doing repetitive tasks, designers still have to make aesthetic decisions. “We 

can’t turn over the grunt work to someone 

else,” says Rich.

But the technical and artistic challenges 

of the work also bring rewards. “Font design 

is always interesting,” Rich says. “There’s 

always a new way to do something because 

there are always new ideas and new media to 

present them in.”

And when their work is done, font designers enjoy producing something tangible that 

many people may see. Some people never 

realize that there was a designer behind every 

letter they read, but that’s OK with Rich. For 

him, font design is more than a job: “It’s a 

passion.”

their services, handle billing, and purchase 

supplies.

How they prepare

Font designers typically need a combination 

of education and experience. Fast drawing 

skills and a design aesthetic are also important. Self-employed designers need some 

administrative and marketing skills.

Education. Most font design companies 

hire graduates of art or design school programs. Some of these programs offer courses 

in font design. But specialized font design 

programs are rare. Cooper Union, a nonprofit 

university in New York, offers the only such 

program—a postgraduate certificate—in the 

United States.

Another education option for aspiring font 

designers is apprenticeship. Apprentices learn 

the trade working alongside experienced font 

designers. But apprenticeships usually are 

available only at some small companies.

Experience. Aspiring font designers who 

forgo school or an apprenticeship can still 

gain experience on their own. With inexpensive technology, would-be font designers can 

create fonts on their home computer and share 

them online.

Networking can provide another important resource for gaining experience. “Who 

you know can expand your knowledge of 

tools, develop your design aesthetic, and help 

you find work,” Rich says.

What it’s like

There are many factors that every aspiring 

font designer should consider. These factors 

include the work environment, employment 

and wages, and the occupation’s challenges 

and rewards.

Work environment. Font designers 

generally work alone. But work hours vary 

by employer. Some, like Rich, work during 

regular business hours. Others work irregular 

hours, which may include weekends or overtime, to complete a project. Self-employed 

designers often set their own schedule.

Employment and wages. The U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not