True Italics Course by Type Design Class

The True Italics Course is a self-paced online video course by type designer Viktor Baltus, sold through his school, Type Design Class. It teaches you to design a true italic companion for a Regular you have already made, rather than a slanted oblique. The course runs to eight modules and about three hours of video, starting with a double-pencil technique and a calligraphy template, then moving into Glyphs 4. It is meant for people with font-making experience, and the price is $249, excluding VAT.

Most beginner type families stop at an upright style, or add an oblique by simply slanting the letters. A true italic is a different design, with its own rhythm, proportions and construction, and it is what makes a family feel complete for text. This course is a focused way to learn that skill without signing up for a long programme.

What You Will Learn

The course concentrates on what separates an italic from an upright. Topics include:

• The difference between a true italic and an oblique
• Rhythm, proportions and construction in italic letters
• Stroke direction and how the pen shapes italic forms
• Managing widths so the italic sits well beside the Regular
• Sketching with a double-pencil technique and a calligraphy template
• Drawing uppercase, lowercase, figures, symbols and an italic ampersand
• Building the italic in Glyphs 4

Who Is the True Italics Course For?

The course is for type designers who already have a Regular and want to give it a proper italic. The official page lists experience with font making and Glyphs as a prerequisite, so it works best as a second or third course rather than a first one. You do not need to be a calligrapher; the pencil and template exercises are there to build the necessary feel.

It is not suited to complete beginners. If you have not yet made a font, start with the school's Font Making Course and come back to this one afterwards.

Course Structure

The course has eight modules and about three hours of video in total. It moves in two stages:

• By hand: the double-pencil technique and a calligraphy template to explore italic structure for uppercase, lowercase, figures, symbols and the italic ampersand
• In Glyphs 4: drawing the italic digitally, with attention to rhythm, proportions, construction, stroke direction and widths

The official page does not list the eight module titles in detail, so check it for the full outline.

Price and Access

The True Italics Course costs $249, excluding VAT. The Type Design Class courses page says enrolment opens twice a year, with the next enrolment listed for March 2027 and a waitlist in the meantime. Some course pages show a direct purchase button, so check the official page to see whether you can buy now or need to join the waitlist.

About the Instructor

Viktor Baltus is a type designer and illustrator with more than 20 years of experience in Adobe Illustrator, and the founder of an award-winning package design studio. He also created The Futur's Grids and Layout kit, which is listed on this site.

Things to Consider

• Prerequisites: you should already be comfortable making fonts in Glyphs.
• Software: Glyphs 4 runs on macOS; check the Glyphs website for licence options.
• Starting point: have a finished or near-finished Regular ready to pair with your italic.
• Tools: two pencils taped together are enough for the double-pencil exercises.
• Time: three hours of video is compact, but drawing a full italic takes much longer.
• Related courses: the Script Fonts Course from the same school also deals with pen-based forms.

How to Get the Most From It

Fill several pages with double-pencil letters before touching the computer, even if they feel clumsy. Then set the Regular and your new italic side by side in short sentences throughout the True Italics Course. Judging them together, rather than in isolation, shows quickly whether the widths and rhythm belong to the same family.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Type Design Class?

Start True Italics Course

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Type Design Class website.

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Last verified: November 12, 2026