36 Days of Type: Midway There!

Fresh inspiration and design exercises to keep the creative spark going.

36 Days of Type is a creative challenge that pushes the limits of what makes a letterform. Can you find the letter N in this surreal composition? By Przemysław Zięba & Tato Studio for 36 Days of Type 5 in 2018.

By now if you’ve been participating in 36 Days of Type, you’re probably getting a feel for the tools you’ve chosen to use. How’s your creative drive feeling? Revved up, or a little scattered?

Wherever you’re at, we’re delighted at the creative effort we’re seeing from all over the world. Some days will be better than others — this is the point in the process where persistence really begins to pay off.

Get inspired

We’ve picked a few of last year’s outstanding compositions just to give you an idea of how far you might take your interpretation of a letter.

The letter C from Mariano Pascual’s 2018 compilation for 36 Days of Type.

We love how some people use patterns and texture, others play with color, and still, others go all in creating an illustrated scene.

A graceful ibis for letter I, from Magdalena Koźlicka’s 2018 composition for 36 Days of Type.

There are as many ways to draw a letter as there are people — everyone has something unique to offer. Magdalena’s work here gives us fond thoughts of Critter, another animal-centric alphabet that goes in a totally different, more cartoonish direction.

Popping into 3D space with the letter K, from Khalil Albuainain in 2018.

If 3D modeling is your interest, don’t miss the 36 Days of 3D Type tutorial post from the other day. You could also browse our fonts for some ideas of just how much variety there can be in the shape of a letter — use the Decorative filter to check out some of the most extreme examples.

Get online with Adobe Live

Beginning April 16, we’re hosting three livestreams with design challenges to get you revved up on the wide world of letter design. Drop in on some or all of the Adobe Live sessions to watch demonstrations from lettering artist and designer Kim Vu and host Ariadne Remoundakis, and maybe pick up some fresh ideas to try out in your own 36 Days of Type project.

Countdown to May 8

If you’re in it for the chance to win a free year of Creative Cloud, our judging panel is eager to see your complete alphabet on May 8. And even if you’re not feeling competitive, we hope you’re at least feeling energized by the creative practice. Keep sharing your works on Instagram with the #36Days_Adobe hashtag to connect with the whole letter-obsessed community.