The bestselling introduction to designing the written word
Typographic Design: Form & Communication is the definitive reference for graphic designers, providing a comprehensive introduction to the visual word. Done well, typopgraphy can communicate so much more than the words themselves. Typographic design determines how you feel about a message, the associations you make, and ultimately, the overall success of the communication. Typographic design extends from the page to the screen, and is a critical element of almost any graphic design project. This book provides essential guidance on everything related to type: from letterforms and negative space, to messaging, processes, and history, aspiring designers will find great utility in mastering these critical concepts.
This new seventh edition has been fully updated with new coverage of contemporary typography processes, updated case studies, and new examples from branding, print, web, motion, and more. On-screen typographic design concepts are discussed in greater detail, and the online supplemental materials include new flashcards, terminology and quizzes.
- Understand design factors as they relate to type
- Explore communication and typographic messaging
- Learn how typography has evolved, and where it is headed
- Adopt established approaches to designing with type
The irony of typographic design is that, when done well, it often goes unnoticed—but its impact on a project’s overall success is undeniable. Typography can make or break a page, can enhance or overpower an image, and can obscure a message or bring it into sharp focus. It is one of the most powerful tools in the graphic designer’s arsenal, and Typographic Design is the complete, practical introduction.
Table of Contents:
Foreword, Rob Carter viii
Introduction ix
1 The Evolution of Typography 1
From the origins of writing to Gutenberg’s invention of movable type 2
Typography from Gutenberg to the nineteenth century 7
The nineteenth century and the Industrial Revolution 12
Typography in the twentieth century 18
A new century and millennium begin 27
2 The Anatomy of Typography 33
Letterforms analyzed 34
The typographic font 37
Historical classification of typefaces 40
The type family 44
Typographic measurement 48
Measuring type on screen 51
3 Legibility 53
Basic principles of legibility 54
Typographic details 64
Legibility and digital typography 66
Rendering type on screen 68
Reading on screen 70
Selecting typefaces 71
Other legibility factors for on-screen typography 74
4 The Typographic Grid 77
Background 78
Structure and space 79
Proportion 80
The square 81
Single-column grids 83
Multicolumn grids 86
Modular grids 91
Improvisational structures 96
The grid and type on screen 97
5 Syntax and Communication 99
Typographic syntax 100
Typographic space 109
Visual hierarchy 112
ABA form 118
6 The Typographic Message 123
A multidimensional language 124
Verbal/visual equations 127
Function and expression 130
7 The Evolution of Typographic Technology 133
Hand composition 134
Machine composition 135
Phototypesetting 137
Digital typesetting 140
Digital typeface file formats 142
Screen-based typography 144
Generative typography 148
Hybrid typography 151
8 Typography in Time and Motion 153
Background 154
Using type in time-based media 157
How type changes and moves 161
Legibility factors 166
Expression 167
9 Case Studies in Typographic Design 169
Poster design: Integrating type and image 170
Book design: VAS: An Opera in Flatland 174
Type in motion: Process and presentation 178
Identity system: Exhibit Columbus 182
Information design: Bloomberg 186
Identity system: 17th Street Farmers’ Market 190
Interaction design: Helmut Schmid: Design Is Attitude 193
10 Typographic Design Education 195
Letter/digit configurations 196
Inventing sign systems 196
Comparative relationships: type and image 197
Sequential typographic forms in space 198
Unity of form and communication 199
Onomatopoeia in motion 200
Type chronology booklet 201
Typography in the browser 202
Typographic hierarchy 203
Calendar deconstruction 204
Experimental compositions with found typography 205
Directional poster: from your house to the university 206
Type, texture, tone and poetry 207
New York Times grid analysis 208
Type interface 209
Banknote design 210
Observing systems in our surroundings 211
Typographic cubes 212
Blending Latin and non-Latin typographic forms 212
Type and image in the third dimension 213
Typezine: my favorite typeface 214
Typeface design: mind/machine 215
Experimental typographic system 216
Expressive typography: form amplifies message 217
Type as metaphor 217
The book project: giving shape and voice to the typographic page 218
11 Typographic Design Process 219
A traditional model 220
Exploring typographic permutations 227
Exploring typographic transformation 232
Ludd: a typographic expedition 239
Composites 246
12 Type Specimens 251
Old Style 252
Garamond 254
Additional Old Style fonts 260
Sans serif 262
Franklin Gothic 264
Univers 270
Meta 276
Futura 282
Additional sans serif fonts 288
Transitional 290
Baskerville 292
Additional transitional fonts 298
Modern 300
Bauer Bodoni 302
Additional Modern fonts 308
Egyptian 310
Serifa 312
Additional Egyptian fonts 318
Selected Decorative fonts 320
Glossary 322
Bibliography 328
Credits 330
Index 334
About the Author :
Rob Carter is Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University, and has served as a visiting professor at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. He is the author of American Typography Today, Typographic Design: The Great Typefaces, the five-volume Working with Type series, and Digital Color and Type. He is also coauthor of Meggs: Making Graphic Design History.
Sandra Maxa is Director of the Master of Arts Graphic Design program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she teaches design process, theory and typography. She has served as visiting faculty at the Pratt Institute, Parsons, and at Rutgers UniversityNewark. As partner at Q Collective, her professional work reflects her deep interest in identity, interactivity and visual culture.
Mark Sanders is Professor in the Graphic Design department at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he teaches typographic, system, and interaction design. He has also been a visiting assistant professor at the Pratt Institute and Rutgers UniversityNewark. As partner at Q Collective, he produces rich design systems that incorporate typography, identity, interaction, and space.
The late Philip B. Meggs was School of the Arts Research Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University; visiting faculty at Syracuse University and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland; and contributing editor to Print magazine. He authored more than a dozen books and 150 articles and papers on design and typography, including a section on graphic design in Encyclopedia Britannica.
The late Ben Day was Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also taught at Boston University and had been a Visiting Designer at the University of Connecticut.
