Serif font to embroider using one line of stitching

April 11, 2018 7:27 PM

I'd like a nice serif font that I can embroider using a single line of stitching. By single line of stitching I mean something like this (probably the split stitch which is the yellow) not like this. Letters will be maybe 1 inch high, so pretty small. Also welcome your tips for embroidering letters.

I assume the key thing to look for is that the font not rely on differences in width at different points in the letter (like a small letter c is often thicker on the vertical parts of the curve than the horizontal). I don't know how to search for that, though.

I'm looking for something that will look elegant, but not showy. So more like a body font than some sort of headline eye-grabbing thing.

I welcome either actual font suggestions, more ideas about characteristics I should seek in my font, or search strategies for finding a font.

Also, I haven't done much embroidery. Any tips?

p.s .When I got pregnant, I never anticipated that 90% of my parenting-related questions would be about fonts.

posted by If only I had a penguin... to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Best answer: It looks like people want such fonts for computer aided engraving and manufacturing, too. Someone collected a bunch of research, links, and examples on this page. I only see one serif font there, but at least it's readily available: Courier New. OneLineFonts.com has several single-line fonts for sale, including two serif fonts.

There's a discussion on the Graphic Design Stack Exchange about what to call such fonts, along with some links to other resources. One answer mentions "slab serif," and some of these, for example, might fit the bill.
posted by whatnotever at 7:45 PM on April 11, 2018 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I agree, you are looking for a slab serif and since it is going to be reproduced in a small size, "thin" or "light" for the weight, maybe a font with a large x-height for legibility? Typo Slab Serif from dafont is slightly condensed and square-ish.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:10 AM on April 12, 2018

Best answer: The magic keywords you need are Slab Serif fonts. (Arbutus on that list is not a slab serif, despite the name, and Croissant is an... interesting interp of slab serif - looks like the capitals are, but the lower-case letters are script.)

I love slab serifs for e-ink ereaders; I use Arvo for epubs when I make epubs from scratch.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 11:22 AM on April 12, 2018

Look at backstitch alphabets. Backstitch lettering done on counted-thread fabric is lovely and very soothing to work, IME. And if you're not doing a counted-thread technique, it should be fairly easy to transfer the pattern to the cloth and then backstitch it that way.
posted by Lexica at 5:06 PM on April 12, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. I decided to go with Aleo Light.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:44 AM on April 13, 2018