“Shemesh” (in Hebrew: “sun”) is a cursive Hebrew typeface designed with multiple OpenType features such as contextual alternates and ligatures. The typeface was programmed to compose accurate combinations of Hebrew cursive letters by default.
At the first creative stage, I focused on writing the Hebrew letters dozens of times in different brushes and calligraphic tools. Once composed, I recreated the letters in vector. As the combination of certain Hebrew letters proved esthetically problematic, I created up to five variations to certain letters to solve spacing and visual flow problems. It took several months to achieve the desired consistency and harmony between the font’s three stylistic weights.
Contextual alternates in Shemesh not only redress the visual problems that arise when using Hebrew script fonts but also create new options for the designer with its various letter combinations. These OpenType features and three stylistic weights (regular, brush and rust), allow designers to use Shemesh to create logos and titles that seem like custom calligraphy.
