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Breaking the Norm [Stuart Sandler]

Publishers at MyFonts of a 500-font collection that are mostly display, headline, and handwriting fonts. The designers are Stuart Sandler and Brian Bonislawsky. Sandler also runs Font Diner, while Bonislawsky runs AOE. The font families were designed in 2002, but were only published at MyFonts in 2005: Air Flow BTN, American Highway, Anastasia, Annie BTN, Aundee BTN, Automatic, Backtalk Sans BTN, Backtalk Serif BTN, Beer Dip, Bleedblob BTN, Candy Buzz BTN, Candy Round BTN, Candy Square BTN, Cheddar Salad BTN, Cinema Gothic BTN, Clever Duke BTN, Cold Spaghetti BTN, Concursico Mono BTN, Concurso Italian BTN, Concurso Moderne BTN, Crazy Girlz Blond BTN, Crazy Girlz Brunette BTN, Crazy Loot BTN, Darlin BTN (child's hand), El Nino, Etiquette, Exotic Island BTN, Finer Diner, Fluffy Slacks BTN, Freezer BTN, Galeforce BTN, Gasoline Sans BTN, Gasoline Serif BTN, Giggles BTN, Grilled Cheese BTN, Guest Check, Hawaiian Aloha BTN, Heather BTN, Holiday Springs BTN, Hot Mustard BTN, Hurrah Dreidle BTN, Java Kick BTN, Jukay BTN, Lil' Tipsy BTN, Lionel Text, Malihini Cuban BTN, Malihini Tahitian BTN, Milwaukee, Mister Sirloin BTN, Motor Oil, Nightclub BTN, Ocalla Hand BTN, Oyster Bar BTN, Pie Contest BTN, Princess BTN (2003, Stuart Sandler), Regulator, Roast Beef BTN, Rojo Frijoles, Roller World BTN, Sandscript BTN, Smarty Pants BTN, Spaghetti Western, Starliner BTN, Super Delicious BTN, Surfer Shop BTN, Undercurrent BTN, Wacky Action BTN, Wild Ketchup BTN, Yarn Sale, Youngsook BTN, Zigzap, Zolan Mono BTN, Zolano Sans BTN, Zolano Serif BTN.

This list of 500 BTN fonts has all the fonts that are packaged with FontAgent Pro Plus (that package also has about 250 Bitstream fonts): AirFlowBTN, AnnieBTN, AppleBoyBTN, AundeeBTN, BacktalkSansBTN, BacktalkSerifBTN, BigChumpBTN, BleedblobBTN, BreakbeatBTN, CaesarBruteBTN (2003, Greek simulation face), CalamityTeenBTN, CandyBuzzBTN, CandyRoundBTN, CandySquareBTN, CarverJackBTN, CheddarSaladBTN, CinemaGothicBTN, ColdSpaghettiBTN, CombatReadyBTN, CombatTestedBTN, ConcursicoMonoBTN, ConcursoItalianBTN, ConcursoModerneBTN, CopaSharpBTN, CrazyGirlzBlondBTN, CrazyGirlzBrunetteBTN, CrazyLootBTN, DarkHalfBTN, DarlinBTN, DevilDogBTN, DraglineBTN, EggHuntBTN, ExoticIslandBTN, FidelityHourBTN, FluffySlacksBTN, FreezerBTN, GaleforceBTN, GargantuaBTN, GasolineSansBTN, GasolineSerifBTN, GigglesBTN, GigglesWigglesBTN, GrilledCheeseBTN, HawaiianAlohaBTN, HeartBreakerBTN, HeatherBTN, HolidaySpringsBTN, HotMustardBTN, HurrahDreidleBTN, IguanaLoverBTN, JadeMonkeyBTN, JavaKickBTN, JukayBTN, LAHeadlightsBTN, LilTipsyBTN, LittlePiggyBTN, MalihiniCubanBTN, MalihiniTahitianBTN, MandingoBTN, MarquisetteBTN, MorningLimerickBTN, NeuroticMindsBTN, NightclubBTN, OcallaHandBTN, OperatorNineBTN, OysterBarBTN, PieContestBTN, PlatinumBeatBTN, PrincessBTN, PrincessRoyalBTN, RegisterSansBTN, RegisterSerifBTN, RetroStarstruckBTN, RevelationBTN, RoastBeefBTN, RollerWorldBTN, SalsaMangosBTN, SandscriptBTN, SantiagoBTN, SmartyPantsBTN, SneakerheadBTN, StarlinerBTN, StickyMoulaBTN, SugarskinBTN, SuperDeliciousBTN, SupremagandaBTN, SurferShopBTN, ToastedVeinBTN, TribalDividersBTN, TroutkingsBTN, UndercurrentBTN, UnknownCallerBTN, VanishingBoyBTN, WackyActionBTN, WildKetchupBTN, YoungsookBTN, YubaBTN, ZolanMonoBTN, ZolanoSansBTN, ZolanoSerifBTN.

In this interview, Stuart explains the hectic schedule: Most type designers can point out specific aspects that helped them improve their skills. For me, there was simply Before and After Breaking the Norm. It was the first of many collaborative projects as well as the most exhausting professional experience of my life. In early 2003 I was contacted by Jim Lyles of Bitstream, who was always very generous with his font-making knowledge. He had a proposal. Bitstream had built up a font library of around 500 fonts that they offered to software companies to bundle with their products---these are called OEM fonts. At the request of several of its customers, Bitstream wanted to increase its OEM library to 1,000 fonts. Jim approached Brian Bonislawsky and me — we were friends and had collaborated previously with success---to see if we would agree to offer up our respective font libraries and create any amount that were missing. After some discussion, Brian and I realized, rather than pillage our libraries, we both felt we were fast enough---each making about four fonts a month at the time---to come up with 250 new fonts each, and we let Jim know we were up for the challenge. When Jim got back in touch, he informed us that Bitstream would like us to go for it, with a handful of caveats: we had to cover a wide range of font styles, very few of them could be derivative "filler" weights, they had to meet a minimum character and kerning set, and lastly they needed the fonts IN NINETY DAYS! For the next three months Brian and I in our respective home offices took font making to its extreme. My routine started when I awoke usually around 10am after a quick bowl of cereal, a check of daily e-mail and a full pot of coffee (the first of three each day), I set straight off to the task of gathering source materials, drawing small words or lettering samples in Adobe Illustrator and sending them off to Jim and Sue Zafarana at Bitstream for approval. Once approved, I would spend the day fleshing out the character set, creating derivative weights and sending them off again for approval. Then they were quickly imported into Fontographer, spaced, kerned, and sent off again to Bitstream to be generated. I would continue this process, only stopping for quick meals, till I literally couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and headed straight to bed. The days blended together and time with friends and family was rare; this was further complicated with my two young kiddos running around the house. My amazing wife Ann was left to tend to their needs while the time of day was marked by my coming up to eat or refill my coffee mug. Each day was committed to a different part of the process and some days which were spent entirely spacing or drawing and kerning usually went very quickly. While I was in the middle of my own madness in Minnesota, Brian was living the same experience down in Florida and we spent many hours on the phone keeping each other motivated and comparing notes. We ultimately met our goal of 250 fonts each in 90 days and were both relieved and utterly exhausted. I can't say I look back on that project fondly---it was absolutely brutal---but it gave me amazing font-making chops and it is very satisfying to see how well many of those fonts stand up over time.

Catalog of their best selling typefaces. View all typefaces made by Breaking The Norm.

EXTERNAL LINKS
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INTERNAL LINKS
Commercial fonts (small outfits) ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Children's handwriting fonts ⦿ Greek simulation fonts ⦿