Part 0. Designer Introduction
Q. Hello, designer Noh Min-ji, could you briefly introduce yourself?
Hello, I'm the font designer Noh Min-ji. I run the font design studio 'Normal Type Foundry' and teach font design at 'PaTI (Paju Typography Institute)'. Previously, I worked at Typecase, YUND, and AG Typography Institute.
Q. You've been involved in font design work at various places. Was there a particular reason you started font design?
I started on the recommendation of font designer Lee Yong-je. During my university days, I participated in one of Lee Yong-je's workshop programs, and I became completely immersed in the meticulous (and boring?) process of font design, which was new to me at the time. That's how I've continued until now.
Q. I can relate to the word 'boring'. While it's a time-consuming process, you can't help but become captivated when you see the completed font at the end. If you had to introduce your brand with keywords, what would they be?
Font design is like air - it's always around us and an essential existence, but it becomes most beautiful when you don't notice it. This is well-reflected in the name of my studio. I hope to become an existence that is so ordinary and familiar that you don't notice it, yet absolutely necessary.
Q. [Balance Game] If you had to choose between using only the fonts you created for life or only fonts created by others, which would you pick?
I'd choose 'using only fonts created by others'. In fact, I find it difficult to use the fonts I've made myself, because I keep noticing areas that need updating and can't focus. If I only used my own fonts, I don't think I'd get any work done!
Part 1. Introducing the 'Normal Batang' Font
Q. I'm curious about how 'Normal Batang' started.
The first sketch for 'Normal Batang' was from the fall of 2011. As a graduate school research assignment, I worked on a project to revive fonts from before the digital typeface era. Nowadays, it has become common to take inspiration from old letterforms, but back then it wasn't a frequent occurrence. I couldn't work on personal projects while being employed, but after starting my own studio, I was finally able to complete it.
'Normal Batang' Work Process Records
Q. So it was a project that took almost 10 years from the initial sketches. Why did you name it 'Normal Batang'?
'Normal Batang', as the name suggests, is intended to be a foundational font in the most ordinary and common places. I hope it blends into various areas and meets all of you.
Q. The most ordinary and common is often the most difficult. Could you introduce the key features of 'Normal Batang'?
'Normal Batang' is a modernized digital text font based on Park Kyung-seo's 4th-grade (textbook) type from the 1920s for horizontal writing. It has a sturdy structure and even counters, with a lyrical yet balanced impression, making it effective for reading large amounts of text, whether literary or non-literary. After initially releasing the Regular weight in 2021 and receiving feedback that a slightly bolder weight would be preferable, I made minor adjustments and added a new Bold weight, for a total of two styles.
Park Kyung-seo Type Specimen
Q. What area did you focus on the most during the design process?
Since this font had a source inspiration, the biggest challenge was determining to what extent I should reflect the characteristics of the original. Whenever I struggled with this, I looked at the types designed by Choi Jeong-ho, a first-generation font designer. Choi Jeong-ho is known to have modernized Park Kyung-seo's types for horizontal writing through his designs. As most of the text fonts we use today are based on the foundations of Choi's types, I traced back to those fundamental elements. Ultimately, I understood that a font's character reflects each designer's individuality. By trusting my instincts and relying on my knowledge and experience, I could determine each stroke one by one. I also paid close attention to the punctuation marks. I had researched 'Korean punctuation marks' for my master's thesis and participated in related studies, so I couldn't take them lightly. In total, I prepared 4,002 glyphs. Please feel free to utilize them sufficiently across diverse areas.
'Normal Batang' Hangeul Typesetting Example
'Normal Batang' Latin, Punctuation Typesetting Example
Q. Thank you for sharing the story of 'Normal Batang'. Lastly, could you recommend how best to use 'Normal Batang'?
'Normal Batang' has a fundamentally lyrical expression. When designing the font, the sample texts I used were literary works and essays. I always think it would be well-suited for body text in those genres. In fact, it has been used for essay body text before and looked very fitting. It was a truly rewarding moment. However, as a font designer, the most enjoyable moment is when it's used in unexpected places. I hope to encounter 'Normal Batang' in surprising locations.
'Normal Batang' Used in Book 'Finally, London' Body Text
Part 2. Designer's Thoughts
Q. What makes a good font?
While it's difficult to define a good font, the direction Normal Type Foundry pursues is to become an existence that is so ordinary and familiar that you don't notice it, yet absolutely necessary. Isn't a font that is always by your side, accompanying your daily life, a good font?
Q. What do you think is needed to become a font designer? Do you have any advice for fellow or aspiring designers?
I want to tell them to draw letters every day and share them with others. By drawing at least one letter each day, little by little, you can build your stamina. And by sharing letter stories with others, you'll discover yourself growing even more.
Q. As a font designer, is there anything you hope for?
I hope 'Normal Batang' and various other text fonts will be used across different mediums. Compared to display fonts, there seems to be a more conservative tendency when it comes to using text fonts. I hope you'll discover and enjoy using a variety of expressive text fonts.
Q. Could you share your future font production plans?
It took quite a long time to complete 'Normal Batang'. But thanks to that, I was able to establish the 'Normal Type Foundry' studio. Normal Type Foundry is just getting started. From May onwards, I plan to rapidly work on fonts in the Minburi family. Please keep an eye on my future endeavors.
Part 3. Joining Sandoll Cloud
Q. Could you share the reason for choosing Sandoll Cloud and a brief comment?
One of the biggest concerns for font designers is font copyright and piracy issues. One solution to this was Sandoll Cloud's cloud service. I had been paying attention to it, and upon Sandol's proposal and the recommendation of fellow designers, I decided to join. I'm really glad to meet you all through Sandoll Cloud!
Q. Could you leave a comment for users welcoming Normal Type Foundry's addition?
Hello, this is 'Normal Type Foundry'. Normal Type Foundry hopes to meet many people in the most ordinary and common places. Glancing around, we plan to create fonts that are always present in those everyday settings. We look forward to frequently encountering you in your daily lives, so please greet us warmly when we meet!