There are services that will produce the outline data of some text for you, but that's about it. The consequence is that those typefaces are not directly available for download. There are two categories of phototypesetting machine, manually operated and computer-aided, but in either case no digital fonts compatible with modern applications are involved. it's probably phototypesetting, the typesetter screwed up, and the mangaka didn't catch it (or maybe there were deadlines to meet). If you've ever seen oddly-rotated dialog in text bubbles, or a slight line running down the side of text (edge of the cut out paper), or part of a bubble border oddly whited out. This might not last much longer, though there's a definite trend towards the adoption of desktop publishing software.īasically the process is this: the mangaka writes the dialogue in the bubbles with pencil, and the typesetter sets the text onto photographic paper using a phototypesetting machine, cuts it out, and sticks it on. Wikipedia says the process is obsolete, but phototypesetting is still in use for at least some Japanese manga, perhaps due to tradition, or the fact that not all typefaces are usable with modern computers. The phototypesetting process and digitizationĬommercial manga used to be (and still are in some cases) typeset via phototypesetting. These are called Shaken typefaces ( 写研書体). The most commonly used typefaces in manga are ones that were created by a company called Shaken for the purpose of phototypesetting. Just like English comics, the particular typefaces used are often pretty similar from manga to manga-there's an established style. On the other hand, gag manga sometimes use a huge variety. Some make a point of only using one or two, which helps to set a more serious tone. The number of different typefaces used varies depending on the manga. In "Bokura no", Koemushi's maru gothic font further distinguishes him from the humans.
A character's thoughts often use a different typeface to their speech when a character is enraged or scared or speaking through a phoneline, the typeface may be different and some characters may speak in their own particular typefaces. BackgroundĪny individual chapter of a Japanese manga may use several different typefaces for a variety of purposes. I apologize for any factual inaccuracies and gladly accept corrections. A lot of the information here I could only find in Japanese, so it should be enlightening to non-Japanese-speakers. I'm also not a mangaka and have no links to manga publishing all my information comes from Internet research. I can only hope I haven't committed any horrible typographic blunders. I'm not a type designer, and I haven't formally studied fonts or anything like that. All-caps comic fonts are not the default. English in the original Japanese version of Eyeshield 21. No attempt will be made to conform to current Western practice specifically, I will not use all-caps (nothing about the Japanese typesetting suggests all-caps, and lowercase is almost always used when English appears in the original), nor will I restrict myself to comic fonts. It also highlights similar English-language typefaces, offering a look into how manga might look in English if it were typeset more closely to the look and feel of the original Japanese. This guide showcases the typefaces most frequently used in manga, and describes how each is typically used.
I often found myself wondering what these fonts were, and whether I could use them myself. Similar fonts often appear in English video games by Japanese developers, too: Very similar typefaces in Lumines / Wii Sports / Sonic 4. I see the same fonts used in a lot of different Japanese manga (comics).
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