Founders often ask whether they need a custom typeface. Usually the honest answer is: not yet. What they need is a voice in type that nobody else has, and that can be built for a fraction of the cost.

Start with the wordmark

We draw the wordmark by hand first, then build three or four alternate glyphs that echo it. Those alternates become a stylistic set inside a licensed retail font, which gives the whole system a family resemblance.

“Your customers will never read your font’s name. They will feel whether it was chosen or defaulted.”

Where to spend, where to save

• Spend on the wordmark and the headline style.

• Save on body text: choose a workhorse with great language support.

• License for the web from day one to avoid painful swaps later.

When the company grows, those custom glyphs become the seed of a full typeface — and the brand has been training its audience to recognise them all along.