Abstract Typography: 3 Steps to Create Unique Fonts And Tips

Are you seeing websites with unique typographic compositions and don’t know how to create your own? Abstract typography is on the rise, and users and loving it. However, if you never tried abstract design before, using this trend in your projects can seem tricky.

Regardless of its free spirit and rule-breaking nature, the abstract and experimental typography style requires precision to come out professional. Without the proper knowledge, your design can become unnecessarily complex and confusing for viewers.

If you are working on an innovative design for one of your clients, you may have considered using abstract fonts. They are eye-catching and showcase uniqueness as any other design trend.

In this article, I will show you how to create abstract typography that conveys singularity and modernism but remains clear for users to digest. You will learn how to craft unique fonts from scratch and which novel editing tools can help you streamline the process.

Table of Contents:

• Are Abstract Fonts Becoming Trendy? – 4 Benefits For Your Design
• Tips to Create Unique Abstract Typography And Grab Users’ Interest
• 3 Steps To Design Your Own Abstract Fonts
• It’s Your Turn To Try this Trend And Create Distinctive Typography

Are Abstract Fonts Becoming Trendy? – 4 Benefits For Your Design

Breaking free from traditional design rules, abstract art is becoming increasingly popular in the design world. I already mentioned experimental typography is one of the rising 2024 font trends, and abstract fonts fall under that category.

With abstract typography, designers can explore different styles and experiment with their creativity to create unique products for their clients. These are some advantages of using abstract fonts on your graphic design projects:

• Immediate Visual Impact: Abstract and artistic typography step aside from the conventional fonts users are used to seeing. That enables brands and designers to develop visually striking designs that will grab users’ attention. Do you want to create a product that instantly arouses curiosity and engages your audience’s attention? Abstract fonts are ideal to meet that goal.
• Long-lasting Impression: Besides grabbing viewers’ eyes, abstract art design can have multiple interpretations. It also stimulates the regions of the brain associated with creativity and imagination. All that causes users to linger a little longer on the design or text, and it also promotes a long-lasting impression, making your designs more memorable.
• Enhanced Brand Identity: This trend not only leaves a memorable impression but also makes a brand more recognizable. Abstract typography is a powerful tool for brands to tell their stories, share their messages and values, and display their personalities. Abstract art gives plenty of room for creativity and storytelling, and designers can use that to innovate and give a brand a distinct style within their industry.
• New Tools Open New Doors: You may think creating abstract art design is too complicated, but technological advances in the design field open new doors every day. Today new software and AI graphic design tools allow designers to build stunning abstract typography. With these tools, you can reach a higher level of detail and precision, which comes in handy when working on abstract designs.

Tips to Create Unique Abstract Typography And Grab Users’ Interest

Have you decided to try the abstract typography trend for the first time? Then, you are probably wondering where to start. Should you use a software editor or start by growing letters by hand?

As a designer, you know about the importance of typography in web design – the fonts you choose can make or break your project. Typeface design is a fun and creative process, but you must remember text is an instrument for communication. Therefore, you should seek innovation without compromising legibility.

If you feel you are in the dark, you can use these tips to understand abstract art and create unique fonts for your product designs:

Doodle – Set Off To A Good Start By Unleashing your creativity

Whether you decide to start on paper or use a design software editor, start by setting your imagination free by doodling. Maybe you already have a clear idea in mind, but if you are still unaware of which direction your design will take, that’s fine, too. Be completely open-minded and creative, and see where your ideas might lead you. 

Start By Working With Black and White Only

If this is your first time working with the abstract style trend, you will find it easier to center only on shapes and compositions at first. Focus on the ornaments you want to add to your letters, the specific details, movement, and other design elements and styles. Once you have a clear picture of what your typography will look like, you can start adding colors.

Select Your Color Palette Carefully

The colors you select for your typography will set the mood for your design, so I advise you to choose it carefully. While abstract art is characterized by using a maximalist color palette, you can also go for a minimalist scheme. You can play with different colors and shapes to create optical illusions, create a sense of movement, or highlight parts of your design.

When choosing colors, always ensure they match your client’s overall branding strategy. You want to avoid any color palette that doesn’t smoothly suit their brand identity. Remember to consider where the typography will be used; if it is for a website, check that the colors you picked work for the original site design.

Can’t Come Up With A New Idea? Seek for Inspiration

When you reach a creative bloc, you can always take a pause to seek inspiration. Inspiration can often come from anywhere, architecture, nature, graphic art, paintings, or even music. You can take inspiration from other brand designs or sites that are following this trend.

Use all those resources as fuel for your own ideas to create unique abstract typography and digital art.

3 Steps To Design Your Own Abstract Fonts

Ready to create abstract typography to enhance your web designs? There are many different methods and tools to design abstract fonts. I designed this guide that can help you as a base to create stunning typeface designs:

Step 1: Initial Drafts And Sketches

As a first step, I would recommend you start doodling sketches in a notebook. Draw letterforms using different curves, shapes, and details. Get all your ideas out on paper, and once you are done, check them out to see which ones work and which ideas to cross out. Keep the sketches you think you can use as the base of your design.

After deciding on one of your sketches, make a cleaner drawing, which you will later scan into your computer. If you don’t own a scanner, you can take a high-quality photo of the drawing so you can then digitally edit it.

Step 2: Select An Editor And Set Up Your Artboard

It’s time to select a software editor or font tool for your project. There are several tools you can use; these are some examples:

• Adobe Illustrator – the one I will use for this abstract typography guide. It comes with plenty of typography tools, which makes it most designers’ favorite choice for creating logos and layouts.
• Photoshop – most designers are already well acquainted with this software, that’s why I included it in this list. While it lacks some typography-specific features, you can still edit and create unique abstract fonts.
• Affinity Designer – an alternative to Adobe Illustrato. It offers a wide range of editing tools and typography features but can be more complex to learn how to use.

Open a new file on Adobe Illustrator, and place the scanned image (or the photo of your sketch) by clicking on File > Place. 

Make the necessary adjustments to your image; when you are pleased with the result, click the Embed button in the Options bar.

Now you have your tracing image ready. Next step, head to the Layer Panel and double-click ont he layer where you placed your tracing image.

The Layers Options box will pop up; there, you can change the layer’s name, color, and opacity. Make sure to click the Lock option so the layer doesn’t move around accidentally.

Step 3: Start Tracing Your Typography Design

Now it is time to trace your drawing using the Pen Tool. First, you must create a new layer on top of the training image and name it whatever you like.

Before you start training with the Pen Tool, I recommend you head to the Appearance Panel, there, change the stroke to 1pt and the Fill to None. Changing those settings will help you see where you are drawing your curves.

Trace each letter until you close the shape. Then, you can add a fill to the letter to get a better sense of it and see if it needs adjustments.

To save time, you can select the anchor points of a letter you want to copy and press Cmd/Ctrl + C and then Cmd/Ctrl + V. Besides streamlining your work, copying and pasting will give a more finished look to the final image.

You can deactivate the sketch layer to get a better idea of where you stand. Continue tracing and filling until you are happy with the result.

It’s Your Turn To Try this Trend And Create Distinctive Typography

With the boom of abstract digital art, designers can create striking logos, layouts, and headlines for their clients. Brands who seek to stand out for their innovative and modern personalities can use this trend to boost recognition and skyrocket sales.

Don’t be afraid to set your imagination free and allow creativity to take over. Regardless if you are a seasoned designer or a fresher, if this is your first time working with abstract typography, have fun and enjoy the process. Let’s see where your skills and creativity take you.