“I have been interested in type since my childhood,” says Turkey-based designer, Ahmet Altun. “So, during the new generation of the symbian phones, I got started writing software for the phones’ fonts and themes as a hobby. After that, I began to work on only font design professionally.”

Ahmet released his first typeface, Nilish, on MyFonts in 2010. “I always do some research about what people need or want to have,” he says. “After this stage, I draw lots of sketches, plan the outlines and make the font clear in my mind. Finally, I design it.” His strategy seems to be working well for him. The designer’s bestselling typeface, Halis Grotesque, a functional text and display family with Art Deco elements, was featured in our Rising Star newsletter. (The name of the font is, appropriately, a Turkish word that means “pure” or “clean” in English.)

Another of Ahmet’s most popular fonts, Harman was created completely by hand. It made its debut on our Hot New Fonts list upon its release and then settled in as one of MyFonts Best Sellers right away. “In recent times, I’ve realized that people prefer hand-made fonts and that I also have a particular interest in making them,” he says. Subsequently, fans of the foundry have more hand-made fonts to look forward to from Ahmet Altun in the future.