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Time converted to your timezone. Class begins at 10:30 AM Chicago.
Pre-recorded + Live online sessions
Add a professional level of finish to your next typeface.
You have a great idea for a typeface and you’ve started fleshing out a character set. But a certain something is missing. It doesn’t look like the polished fonts from your favorite designers. What is it? That’s what Latin One is all about — execution, craft, mechanics.
The course begins by detailing a typical type design process so you can spend more time designing, and less time correcting your mistakes. Then we look closer at setting up font files, tackling Bezier curves, spacing, proofing, making optical corrections to your letters, text vs. display type, and then some.
At the same time, you’ll put this new knowledge into practice by applying it to a typeface of your own. Feedback sessions and font file reviews take this course from purely theoretical to fully practical. You’ll receive concrete advice on how to improve your typeface — whether it’s a missing point, problematic proportions, or a letter that’s heavier than the rest.
The goal of this course is to take your raw material, refine it, and give it a solid foundation. You’ll gain an appreciation for the practice of type design and improve your eye in the process. The world of letters will never look the same.
What you’ll learn
→ Techniques to improve your Bézier curves and add snap to your letters
→ How to make informed decisions about vertical metrics
→ The importance of spacing on the overall quality of your font and how to improve yours
→ How to move more consciously through the type design process
→ The design difference between fonts meant for text vs. display
→ How to make optical corrections and small adjustments that improve the overall color of your font
→ To notice the details without losing sight of the larger system of your typeface
→ How to use proofing as a tool to make your typeface better
→ Ways to boost creativity and find inspiration for future projects
Latin One is perfect to establish the foundations of type design in a really practical way. Sometimes we tend to spend a lot of time in books or in theory and don’t know how to start or to improve our work. With Latin One, you do the work and learn along the way. Totally worth it. Highly recommend.
Nov 4 / Course introduction and kickoff (live, 1 hr)
Videos: Working smart: a basic type design workflow; Glyphs setup tutorial: How to install plugins & modules
Week 2
Nov 11 / Font file review (live, 2.5 hours)
Videos: Font Info in Glyphs, Part 1 — Foundations & Setup; Proofing type
Week 3
Nov 18 / Feedback session (live, 2.5 hours)
Videos: Basic techniques for drawing letters with Bezier curves; Advanced techniques for drawing letters with Bezier curves
Week 4
Nov 25 / Feedback session (live, 2.5 hours)
Videos: Spacing workshop, part one; Font Info in Glyphs, Part 2 — Production & Iteration
Week 5
Dec 2 / Feedback session (live, 2.5 hours)
Videos: Design difference between text and display type; Spacing workshop, part two
Week 6
Dec 9 / Feedback session (live, 2.5 hours)
Videos: Optical corrections in type
Week 7
Dec 15–17 / Individual feedback session Students choose a single 20 min feedback slot on one of the three days, no other course commitments this week.
The schedule is subject to modifications.
Classes begin at 10:30am Chicago / 12:30pm Buenos Aires / 5:30pm Berlin /
How it works
Pre-recorded lectures are released once a week and must be watched before the Wednesday live session on Zoom.
The live feedback sessions happen once a week, every Wednesday, and are 2.5 hours long.
Make sure to block time in your schedule to watch the videos — they’re essential for completing the assignments and participating in class.
Latin One was designed to be taken as a stand-alone course or in conjunction with Latin Two. Students who enroll in Latin One will also be able to enroll in Latin Two before the general public, skipping the application process entirely and simply signing up.
What’s included
21.5 course hours
Live feedback sessions held over Zoom on Wednesdays
Pre-recorded lectures released each week
Ability to watch feedback sessions again (they are live, but recorded)
Certificate of completion (80% attendance required)
Tuition
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
$395
$495
$595
Tuition is on a sliding scale and you decide which tier you pay according to your means. No matter what tier you choose, the course is exactly the same. Fees are stated in US dollars.
October 18, 2026 — Scholarship applications due
October 19, 2026 — Enrollment opens
October 21, 2026 — Scholarship recipients notified
October 21, 2026 — Latin One Q&A session @ 10:30a Chicago, Instagram Live
November 4, 2026 — Latin Two begins
Who is this course for?
Latin One is geared toward someone who is self-taught, has experimented with making fonts on their own, or someone who has taken introductory type courses (for example, a 10-week course or an intro to type design course at university).
Students should already be familiar with the basics of using a font editor and have the start of a typeface to work on during the course. Our aim is to cover the fundamentals of type design execution in more depth than would be possible in introductory classes. However, you do not need to have any formal training to make the most of the course, just the practical experience of drawing letters in a font editor.
Do I need to have a typeface designed to participate in Latin One?
Ideally yes. The course is designed for you to work on a typeface you started outside of class and improve it as we go along. If you want to participate fully, and receive feedback on your work, then you need some letters to work on. However, if you prefer to learn through observation, then you are welcome to join without one.
How far along does the typeface I start the course with have to be?
It does not need to be finished, or even near finished. If you have something like 10 characters, that’s a great place to start.
What style of typeface can I work on during class?
Text, display, connected script, experimental, sans serif, serif — bring whatever you’re excited to work on.
If you have a typeface that is uppercase only, know that we deal a lot with lowercase letters in the course (which would be the case in most any type design class). Feel free to bring all the capitals, but be ready to learn about the lowercase as well!
How much time am I expected to work outside of class?
There are two components of the course that happen outside of the live sessions: watching the pre-recorded lectures and working on your typeface. We recommend spending a minimum of 5 hours outside of class to accomplish both of those activities.
Can I take Latin Two if enjoy Latin One?
The two courses were designed to be taken separately or one after the other. Students who enroll in Latin One will have the opportunity to sign up for any edition of Latin Two before the general public, giving them priority enrollment. Another benefit of taking Latin One is that students can skip the normal application process for Latin Two, and instead simply sign up.
Based on our past experiences with students, most people interested in taking Latin Two will also benefit from taking Latin One. If taken together, Latin One will get students ready for all Latin Two has to offer. Taken on its own, Latin One gives you the opportunity to dive deep into the execution side of type design, ask questions, and receive personalized feedback.
Do I need to use a specific font editor?
All demonstrations using a font editor will be conducted in Glyphs. Many of the concepts are universal (like drawing or spacing) and will easily translate from one font editor to the next. There is a lot to learn that is independent of a font editor. Although any font editor is welcome, just know that some content is Glyphs-specific and our primary fluency is with Glyphs. If you are interested in trying Glyphs, you can opt to use the trial license that comes free with the course.
Are there scholarships or other tuition help available?
All Practica courses are offered on a sliding scale, which can reduce the amount of tuition a student pays.
We’re also offering two scholarships for Latin One. Recipients will receive full tuition waivers.
To apply for the scholarship, fill out the online application. It asks basic information about yourself, a few questions, and a request for portfolio pieces.
The waivers are awarded on a combination of merit and demonstrated need. Potential applicants should apply for the scholarship only if they are in a financial situation that makes it difficult to take the course otherwise.
Applications must be received by Sunday, October 18, 2026.
