Star Trek Alien Fonts (Assignment Earth)

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by Scott Kellogg, Apr 16, 2021.

  1. Scott Kellogg

    Scott Kellogg Commander Red Shirt

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    Howdy Folks,

    I'm sure you're probably aware that there are sites out on the internet with fonts designed for the various alien races in Star Trek.

    I just found a "Preservers" font that was on the alien obelisk in the one with the Indians.
    Kinda wishing I had that a few years back when I sneaked the obelisk into the background in my comic.
    But, I digress. There seems to be a whole bunch of alien fonts available. (Most of which don't look like they'd be very friendly to write by hand, but I digress again.)

    I don't know how to create a font nor do I know anyone, but if someone out there is interested or knows someone, I think I found something for an interesting font project.

    In "Assignment Earth" there is an example of the Alien writing that the font-philes might have fun with.
    [​IMG]

    Scott Kellogg
     
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  2. Push The Button

    Push The Button Commodore Commodore

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    The amazing part is that Spock was able to half-understand how to operate that computer
     
  3. Noname Given

    Noname Given Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    That's a conceit of Star Trek (and many other science fiction films and series) from day one, that the technology between alien races is so similar that anyone who's used the technology can decipher and tell how to operate it on a completely alien ship.
     
  4. Ronald Held

    Ronald Held Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Is there any data on who made up the characters on the computer keys?
     
  5. ZapBrannigan

    ZapBrannigan Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That would be a pretty obscure memo if it exists. It looks like the non-standard keyboard is from a real-life business machine, and the art department repainted it. Probably Matt Jefferies did the art, assuming he designed the Beta Five computer. And like so many little things, he hardly needed to bother; the font was never visible on 20th century TV sets at all.
     
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  6. MGagen

    MGagen Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Look at the key on the lower right. It's the first use of this emoticon:

    :P

    Oops, its:

    :b
     
  7. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Well, he is half alien. ;)
     
  8. MAGolding

    MAGolding Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    In the real world on theplanet Earth in the 21st century, there are many different possible fonts, sightly different designs of characters, to use for the letters in a specific alphabet. And there are many different alphabets, each of which can have many different fonts.

    So is your question asking about alien alphabets or alien fonts?
     
  9. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    In the future Gary Seven's people come from, emojis will be the language all mankind.
     
  10. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

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    That stuff was decided by the Art Director and just tasked to someone in his dept. To my eye it looks like Letraset dry transfer letters and symbols (some of which were available in black, red, white, etc.) turned this way and that and cut up to make "alien" symbols.
     
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  11. Scott Kellogg

    Scott Kellogg Commander Red Shirt

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    Sorry, I thought I was being fairly clear.
    Do you have any advice on turning the random characters appearing on the keys in the photograph above into a TTF (or equivalent) readable file that could be utilized by a computer? (of the types common in the 21st century on the planet Earth.)
     
  12. Maurice

    Maurice Snagglepussed Admiral

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    You need a font editor, e.g. FontForge.
     
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  13. Scott Kellogg

    Scott Kellogg Commander Red Shirt

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    Thank you!
    Well, with everything else I've got going on, I can see This is going to be a long term project....
    Looks like there are some YouTube Videos on it to learn from as well.

    Thanks!

    Scott
     
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  14. Spock's Barber

    Spock's Barber Commodore Commodore

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  15. dupersuper

    dupersuper Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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