Type fluid was an experimentation with typography, inspired by cool fluid bursts and movements.
It was an exploration of how letter forms could be created using fluids and liquids, and frozen in
time just as it is on its way to create some beautiful splashes as it hits the surface.

Typography is all about strict rules and following a grid, whether it be designing the typeface or working on a layout of a written piece. We wanted to break the boundaries and grids surrounding letterforms, yet making it as appealing and enjoyable as possible. After setting out inspirations and feel we wanted to go after, a main challenge was how we could visualize letterforms through the use of liquids, and capturing them at the right moment while making its way down to the surface. This process involved lots and lots of trial and error and different kinds of experimentations.

We brought in a new way of looking and creating typography. With out interest and passion for Graphic Design (typography), and 3D, we mixed both together and came out with an interesting result. Having a typeface based on liquids and flowing fluids could be done in many ways, and through our process we came across lots of different applications and routes we could go for.

After working around several concepts of mixing between type and fluids, and different executions, we settled on this concept of making each letter look as if it’s paint, that suddenly explodes with high pressure. The concept was to capture the most interesting moments while this happens, while still keeping the letterform noticeable. Once we were satisfied with making the “a”, we moved on to the other letters, which some were more challenging then others and I had to work around it for a solution.

The tools I used were mainly RealFlow and 3D Max. I first started by creating my letter in 3D Max, with the right amount of depth I was looking for to fill the letter up with my paint. I then took it to RealFlow and filled it up with fluids using an emitter, while the letter was filling up, i played a lot with my gravity and pressure level, taking it up and down. Once the letter form was filled up, I’d release the original shape holding the fluid, and allow the letter to explode and splash around hitting the ground. Once I was happy with what I had, I’d set the look and feel of the mesh covering up the letter form, and import it back to 3D Max, finalizing the materials and render scene. Their are four animations on our website that show the whole process of how the letters were made.

Some letters were more problematic than the others, one example was that some letters have a lot of space inside of them compared to others, for example the “g”, it has a big round shape in the top, and a small part at the bottom, that creates some inconsistency and makes it hard to let the whole letter form unified when exploding, another reason for that is the direction the liquid moves in, one part is a circular motion and the other is an arc, which results in a different end result.

Each letter required its own process based on what it looked like, a lot of trial and error, sometimes using more that one emitter, at different directions and speeds, and experimenting with how they would collide with each other. A good example of that is the letter “m” or “w”, which has three legs, and considered a wide letter.

One of the challenges was that some letters had some small parts, for example the “e” has a small counter part in the middle, the “f” has a small bar in, all the small parts of a letter make it difficult, since they disappear as soon as you make the letter form go free and explode. The solution was to edit the typeface, and make some parts bigger or longer, until it would work properly. Therefore, you need lots of patience and allowing yourself to explore all the possibilities of how different things could end up looking..

The type fluid project brings a new and fresh perspective towards typography. Altering different parameters during the execution of the process is the key that really unleashes a virtually infinite number of results. This implicitly makes type fluid not just a type, but many of them, a method, a tool for creating an endless ‘flow’ of emotions through liquid movements. In its very peculiar approach, this project tries to leave its mark and further enrich and expand the world of Typography.

This project can also lead to many new designer products such as lights and collector toys, and those are the 2 new areas which I will be working in with the Type Fluid Experiment project, but the fields of application are really limited by the creativity of its future users.