Typographic Design: Form and Communication

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 University–Newark. 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 University–Newark. 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.