Planet typography MyFonts
The typographic Times

 

[August 2007]
Free fonts in action: Fontplay.com
by Dennis Hill (aka: fontpl@yer)

   

Fontplay“Fontplay.com was originally started when I was learning Photoshop, and playing with effects, like drop shadows, bevels, and Kai’s filters on letter shapes. I posted the results (later to take the official name ‘Fontplays’) and the links to the fonts that were used (usually freeware) on the internet. This turned out to be well received.

FontplayAs I continued doing them, it seemed a good way to bring recognition to the people who were making fonts and giving them away for free. Some were of higher quality, with full character sets. Some of the more prolific of the best eventually became part of the Fontplay Hall of Fame. Included in this group are Manfred Klein, the L’ab, Graham Meade, Dieter Steffman, Harold Lohner, Nick Curtis, Dan Zadorozny (Iconian). CybaPee and Dr. Luc Devroye were added for their general contributions to the font scene I was involved in.

As time progressed, I began to display the fonts more as text, and less as special effects displays, which started looking amateurish to me. I have no professional training, so pro type-setters will probably find plenty to bug them in my work, but I have always tried to improve, although ideas for Fontplays don’t come as often now as they used to, so it probably seems that part of the site is almost dormant, compared to the free photo pages.

FontplayWhen I got interested in photography, I started using my own photos as backgrounds, and adding the photos to my site for free for anyone who could use them. Now the photos are by far the most popular part of my site. Close to 10,000 people a month enter the site  from the graffiti-art photos page alone.

I’m not sure what direction the future will bring, but I am open to ideas.”


Website: Fontplay