Lumikha ng Baybayin
An introduction to designing Baybayin fonts
Dates: Tuesdays, April 29 – May 27, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 9:30 PM GMT+8 (Philippine Time)
Location: Online via Zoom
All sessions will be recorded. A private link will be shared with attendees after each class.
Sign-up
Description
This online workshop will walk you through the process of designing your own Baybayin typeface through a mix of hands-on exercises and guided instruction, all within a collaborative learning environment. You may come in with prior experience or none at all. Either way, this workshop will support you through the journey of designing a Baybayin typeface.
Who It's For
This online workshop is for beginner to intermediate type design students who are curious about creating a Baybayin typeface. You’ll be guided through the process of designing Baybayin letterforms with structured lessons, feedback, and community support.
We’ll touch on the history, structure, and fundamentals of the Baybayin script, and you’ll learn how to read and write as part of the design process. However, this is primarily a type design class, so if you’re completely new to Baybayin, we encourage you to explore additional resources on your own alongside the course.
What kind of type design experience do you need?
Ideally, participants should already be familiar with using type design software, as we won’t be teaching how to use it from scratch. That said, if your goal is to learn how to harmonize Baybayin forms through the lens of type design, then having basic vectoring skills and software is a must.
If you’d like to get a head start on foundational type design concepts, we highly recommend typedesignschool.com—an all-comprehensive course by Lynne Yun.
Workshop Format
The workshop will be held online via Zoom and will include an accompanying Discord server where participants can share progress, ask questions, and connect outside of sessions.
Each session includes a 1.5-hour lecture, followed by an optional 30-minute Q&A and discussion period. Expect a mix of lectures, demos, and critiques.
What You’ll Gain
- Understand the structure and construction of Baybayin letterforms from a type design perspective
- Learn the process of creating Baybayin type from sketch to digital execution
- Develop your own working Baybayin typeface by the end of the course
- Connect with others who share your curiosity for type
Required Materials and Software
This class will be taught using Glyphs 3, a font editing software that runs on macOS (macOS 10.11 or above required). A free temporary license will be provided to each student.
We understand the limitations this may pose, and we don’t want to discourage participants who use other font editors (or none at all) from joining. If you’d still like to follow along and learn without producing a working typeface, working in vector software like Adobe Illustrator will suffice.
Other things you’ll need:
- a reliable internet connection
- a Zoom account
- a Discord account
- software for creating a PDF proof of your typeface (e.g. Adobe InDesign)
- on the first day of class: paper (letter/A4 or larger) and marker/pen
Course Outline
Week 1 (April 29) Basics & Forms
- Baybayin Introduction/History
- Filipino Golden Rule “spell it the way you say it”
- Baybayin Anatomy
- Baybayin Characters
Week 2 (May 6) Baybayin in Glyphs
- Starting Baybayin in Glyphs 3
- Baybayin Unicode
- Anchors
Week 3 (May 13) Proofing
- Typing in Baybayin / Baybayin Keyboard
- Proofing
Week 4 (May 21) Optional Office Hour
- No formal classes but an office hour will be held for consultations.
Week 5 (May 27) Final Presentation
- Last day of class!
- Final Presentations & Critique
About the speaker
Jad Maza
Jad is a Filipino designer from Iloilo, Philippines. Sparked by a passion project, his type design practice explores what more type design can look like in the Philippines’ context.
In 2022, he underwent the TypeWest online certificate program in type design by the Letterform Archive, and has released fonts with international foundries like Blaze Type and Future Fonts. He currently designs brands at And A Half.
Workshop Fee
₱3,500 (PHP), inclusive of a Glyphs App workshop license
We’ve priced this workshop with accessibility in mind, especially for participants in the Philippines. If you’re able and feel moved to contribute more, your donation will help sustain this and future workshops. We’d be truly grateful.
We are also offering one free workshop seat to a participant who will serve as a teaching assistant for the duration of this course. The role includes in-Zoom monitoring, recording sessions, and posting relevant links to assist the course instructor.
✉️ If you’re interested in applying, please email us at type63.ph@gmail.com with a brief letter of intent, in addition to filling out the sign-up form.
To sign-up for this course, visit:
We’re excited to have you join us!