Designing a Typeface as an Engineered System

Font design is an engineering problem rather than an art project. A proper typeface relies on strict rules, starting with why x-height, aperture size, and invisible overshoots determine readability long before aesthetics matter. The discussion details the disciplined drafting sequence—beginning with the letters o and n rather than A—and the modern open-source toolchain on Linux, including FontForge, UFO sources in git, and the fontmake compiler. Key sources: • Peter Biľak, Designing Hebrew Type, Typotheque — https://www.typotheque.com/articles/designing-hebrew-type • W3C, Hebrew Layout Requirements, editor's draft — https://www.w3.org/International/hlreq/ • Microsoft, OpenType Hebrew script development spec — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/script-development/hebrew Episode 6407 — myweirdprompts.com/n/6407 (permanent short link: myweirdprompts.com/838952) Listen on Android: MWP FM Player — myweirdprompts.com/apk