Caflisch Script: a one-axis multiple master typeface

Designing Caflisch Script
The project began when Slimbach received a handwritten
note from Caflisch. The clarity and virtuosity of his script
so impressed Slimbach that he considered transforming
Caflisch’s handwriting style into a typeface design.
Months later, during a visit to Adobe, Caflisch agreed to
write out several sample pages of his handwriting for
Slimbach to experiment with. From these samples, written
with a fibre profipen, Slimbach enlarged and cataloged
a variety of letterforms, none of which, having been
written by the human hand, were exactly the same. Eventually,
he derived a working character set with several
alternates. These letterforms were scanned and digitized
to establish a basis for the type design.
During this early phase, Slimbach worked to retain the
subtleties and detailing of the original handwritten
samples, while making the necessary weight, shape, and
spacing adjustments so that the font would perform well
in all letter combinations and join in a natural manner
as a connecting script. To make Caflisch Script into a
multiple master font, Slimbach used the original test
weight as a basis from which to design light and bold
master designs for the weight axis. Later, alternate lowercase
and swash capital fonts were developed to further
represent Caflisch’s handwriting and provide users with
a more exuberant version of the regular design. Throughout
the creative process, Caflisch reviewed test proofs and
provided valuable feedback on the developing type.
This collaboration produced a script face that pleased
both designers.