Designing a typeface based on Tberfil

Abstract

This dissertation explores the art of tberfil in Malta; its history and influences, and its place within Maltese culture. The dissertation is an enquiry into the correlation between tberfil and the Maltese identity. Tberfil’s rich and colourful heritage—which is uncovered throughout this research—is used to create a set of letters anddingbats, in the design of a digital typeface. The aim of the practical component is twofold: to transfer the timbre of the handmade lettering into the digital realm; and to exhibit its relation to the ornamental decorations that complement it. The type-design exercise hopes to encourage and aid in the preservation of tberfil, in a globalisation present where national culture and national identity are becoming decreasingly significant as a symbol of identity (Browne, 2015). The design process combined the issues raised in tackling the question of what makes tberfil Maltese, together with a plethora of visual references (Appendix D), and with rules of type design (Cheng, 2020; Perkins, 2014; Tracy, 2003; Willen & Strals, 2009). The practical project evolved beyond just the design of the letters, expanding into the wealth found within the whole of tberfil. The exhibited work (both at the University of Malta and the corresponding online website—which I developed myself) not only displays the produced letterforms, but highlights and celebrates the variety and depth of the artform beyond the lettering. The work presented in the exhibition shows the relationship between tberfil and its context, and highlights the importance of context in the lettering feeling Maltese. Towards the end of this dissertation, a detail of possible future developments based on this work is given.