3d typeface printing

hi all, new to this site. Just wondering if what your group has on the idea of producing type through the use of 3d printers

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can’t see as where it would stand up to long. They are experimenting and getting more elaborate with the medium though, so, who knows.

have a look at this: Watch ìA23D: A 3D-Printed Letterpress Fontî by Adrian Harrison: http://vimeo.com/106092839

kiwiprntz, if you search the discussion here you’ll find
a plethora of posts on this topic. I really have to hand it to
those British guys on vimeo, they created a face only a mother could love, it’s hideous. The narrator claims you set type in a setting stick..? really, you set type in a setting stick? best james

James, whether you like what the guys in London did or not (that’s a question of taste), it’s interesting to see the process involved. Don’t forget that the ‘period wood type’ that a lot of people seem to love these days was some kind of a novelty as well, when it was originally issued. The development in 3D printing and laser cutting might lead to other things… If I had the opportunity to get some missing glyphs printed in 3D, I wouldn’t say no.

Thomas, that’s true, but at the same time I think the guys who made the 3D printed font above also were designing around one of the potential serious limitations of the medium. Namely, the surface striations produced by basically all plastic-based additive machining equipment. I’d be interested to see if the technique would be as successful with something that has a large, solid surface rather than all those thin lines.

Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN

I don’t go below 16 pt and do fine. Outlined fonts work great. To avoid the bumpy surface I print on 2mm surface with the type 4.5mm high. I mount it on a block of wood and then sand down with 1200 grit sandpaper.

The key thing is to put the settings for the 3d printer to 100% infill and 1 shell.

De1701, thanks for the comments. Are you making serifed faces at 16 point And if so, how do they look? What kind of printer are you using? Do you have any photos of your results? Thanks!

Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN

I love the process and the idea behind it… I have purchased the set of posters – they are gorgeous!