Not my type isn't my first typewriter font. I have done one before called Type old writer. So why do another? Well, the answer is simple, I bought an old typewriter for a photo shoot for my picture frame studio pack. It's been sitting in a cupboard gathering dust, so I thought I might as well get it out and get this font done. Plus now I can sell it as I have no use for it now.
Hanging out at Antique fairs
This typewriter is an Oliver courier portable typewriter. I think it was originally made in the 1960's in London. I bought it at an antique fair at Kempton racecourse for £5—bargain. It had a very limited character set so I've used the characters I did have to help create the ones I didn't. For instance, it didn't have a dollar sign. Easy to re-create with a capital S. On a slightly different note I also learned a lot about typewriters on the web—who knew?
Contextual Alternatives
The good thing about not my type font is that I created 3 versions for each letter and number. Each alternative is slightly heavier than the last. Each time you hit a key on a real typewriter the letter looks slightly different depending on how much force you use. That's what I've tried to replicate with the 3 alternatives, it definitely makes it appear more random. You just type what you want and enable contextual alternatives and it will automatically switch and change the letters.
Stylistic Alternatives
If you don't want the contextual alternatives just turn them off. You can still access the glyphs via the stylistic alternative panel in your design application.
Not my type font includes
- One style (regular)
- Uppercase & Lowercase letters with 3 Alternatives
- Numbers with 3 alternatives
- Basic punctuation & Symbols
Bags of Detail
I scanned in my original type at 1200dpi as it was really small. I went to great trouble in experimenting with the best auto trace settings in Adobe Illustrator. I kept as much detail as I could while not going overboard on the paths. I've yet to see another typewriter font that has the same amount of detail as this one. That means you can use Not my type at bigger sizes without losing the font quality. To get my font from Illustrator to Glyphs app I used Fontself Maker. It's a real handy plugin for Illustrator that really speeds up my workflow.
Font Usage
Not my type is perfect for when you want your design to have that typewriter effect. It's traditional and retro with just a hint of grunge.