A test using a monospace typeface I am designing for use in weavings. Characters are specially designed to minimise overlapping of the paper strips while weaving. This piece is made up of over 150 3mm strips of paper.
The word text comes from the same roots as textile: the Latin verb 'texere', meaning 'to weave'. This shared origin leads to expressions such as 'to tie up loose ends', 'to spin a yarn', and 'to lose the thread of a conversation'.
I am interested in the point at which the two words intersect, in creating a typeface for the purpose of weaving it into a textile. The text provides the structure of the 'fabric', and in a sense becomes a medium in itself, the same as wool or linen.
The word text comes from the same roots as textile: the Latin verb 'texere', meaning 'to weave'. This shared origin leads to expressions such as 'to tie up loose ends', 'to spin a yarn', and 'to lose the thread of a conversation'.
I am interested in the point at which the two words intersect, in creating a typeface for the purpose of weaving it into a textile. The text provides the structure of the 'fabric', and in a sense becomes a medium in itself, the same as wool or linen.
‘But the profound unfenced valleys of the sea still held him’ is taken from 'The Second Voyage' by Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin
The words chosen determine the strength of the 'fabric'. Letters with diagonals or curves, such as 'A', and 'O', are stronger that those made up of a few straight lines, such as 'L', and 'H', as fewer strands of paper follow the same path to form those shapes. Sometimes there are paths which can be traced through an entire line of text without break, allowing for a wider strip of paper to be used. This speeds up the process and strengthens the structure of the weaving.
