Scanned, distorted typefaces hold so much visual interest, but they are typically created uniquely as images and aren’t usable as typefaces. The challenge in designing a scanned typeface is that I essentially have to design two typefaces: the typeface to be scanned, and the scanned typeface. 

I started by designing a very basic, uniform, sans serif font.

I then printed out every letter I'd developed for Plain Sans and ran it through a scanner, moving the paper differently every time to yield new results. Below are some of my favorite scans, including those used in the final design. 

In design, the locus of control typically lies solely with the designer. Every choice is intentional. In this process, I gave up control over the shape of the typeface from the distortion caused by moving my printed type around the scanner. I had control over the design of the typeface and the movement of the paper on the scanner, but the scanned results were random. This allowed for variation in the size and shape of the letterforms outside of typical design choices. 

I chose my favorite letters from the scanned results and vectorized them, then put my new typeface into use.