By BRIAN TOBIA
Decorative typefaces that take the form of the Roman alphabet designed by font developers is the most used fonts by many people including graphic artists to design eye-catching posters, brochures, flyers and many other products.
A typeface usually comprises an alphabet of letters, numerals, punctuations and may also include ideograms and symbols.
Papua New Guinea will soon have its own version of this Roman alphabet developed from traditional designs from all the 19 provinces of the country.
This is the aspiration of a University of Papua New Guinea academic, Philemon Yalamu and his innovative final year Art & Design students.
So far they have designed 15 font typefaces of the 50 required before the new product can be launched.
Mr Yalamu who believes in 'creativity and originality' said the font idea was to initialize the font type-face that is Papua New Guinean.
"Currently we use font typefaces created by western designers based on Roman alphabets. We have access to computer technology (hardware and software) and their application in our daily lives but we don't know the concept of how they created the font-typefaces we use. That secret remains unexplored to date in developing countries like PNG," he said.
Mr Yalamu taught his students how the typefaces were created and went further to teach them how to create or design them. This influenced the idea to design typefaces that is truly PNG by using traditional designs.
"I gave them measurements to design fonts from A-Z both uppercase and lowercase, numbers and symbols. Whatever font they design it must have a PNG design. Some students used tapa cloth from Oro province to design fonts from A-Z, numbers and symbols. Others are using Milne Bay and Sepik designs and dog's teeth necklace from the central province," he said.
So far 15 font type faces have been designed and the proposed launch is scheduled for next year. The target is to complete 50 font type faces before the product can be launched but they were not able to reach the target this year due to limited number of final year students.
Some of the students had to take (design) two typefaces as a result. But it is anticipated the remaining 35 font typefaces would be completed next year because the 2008 final year class would be larger.
"This is the first PNG product in the art and design industry and we will have property rights over these fonts once completed and launched," he added.
All the designed font type faces will come in a software package that has been designed by the graphics department themselves.
Customers would have to purchase the software package to be able to download the PNG made font-type faces onto the computer and use them.
They can be used in any programs from Word documents, Power Points, Adobe PageMaker, Illustrator, and other software that uses font typefaces.
One can just select their choice of PNG oriented typefaces from any typeface-option palette in any graphics, office, or other supported application and all corresponding typefaces will appear as types from the keyboard. These fonts are custom designed fonts (type normal and the alphabets, numbers and symbols will appear in PNG designs.)
According to Mr Yalamu, it is more of an illustrative and fantasy approach.
For instance if an event or a cultural show is taking place in Popondetta, graphic artists and designers can choose to use font typefaces with the Tapa cloth design in advertisements, flyers, posters and others to make the event as original as possible the event of the people of Oro. It is the same with events in other provinces.
For national celebrations (like independence celebrations) graphic artists can use font type faces from all the 19 provinces to make the celebration true PNG.
The target market is commercial entities like graphic artists, studios, designers, newspaper, newsletter publishers and anyone else associated with the art and design industry.
Mr. Yalamu developed this concept as part of his academic portfolio.
He could have designed all the font typefaces himself but choose to pass on the concept and idea to his students.
"I would want to ensure that this new product is made possible with the contribution of my students ... it is something to have pride in that will build on their careers in future," he said.
The new product can be marketed overseas once the property rights protocols are established.
He intends to keep the register of clients who purchase the product and look out for the use of typefaces by others illegally.
He is in the process of contacting the Font Association especially Microsoft and the Adobe Team to register the PNG designed fonts typefaces.
He said it is the beginning of many news things to come from the art and design perspective that will be beneficial to PNG in the long term. This is something Papua New Guineans can show pride in because it is a local product - adding value to the western designed fonts.
The Japanese, Chinese, France and other international language groups have developed their own font typefaces to replace the original English alphabets, numbers and symbols and PNG can do the same.



 

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