This is my personal list of recommended books on Typography and Printing, chosen to help the student, amateur printer, and the professional graphic artist learn more about type and design. I have selected these books because I think they are the best books on Typography and Book design, the most interesting books on Printing and Typography, and the most useful books on Typography and Printing. I've thrown in my favorite books on printing types and the history of printing, too. I've read all these books and I'd be happy to answer questions about them if I can help.
Part of the Green Dolphin Press website. [Contact Us] [Things We've Printed] [Letterpress FAQ]Table of Contents
- History of Printing
- Typography
- Book Design
- Printing Types
- Type Design
- Type Specimen Books
- Type Designers
- Letterpress Manuals
Books on History of Printing[return to top] | |
| A Short History of the Printed Word 2000-06-01, Hartley and Marks Publishers. ISBN: 0881791547 [686.209] (71261) This classic volume should find its place on every design student's bookshelf. Here is the history of the printed word, from the earliest alphabets through the evolution of the printing press. The contributions of the great printers and typographers are here. A new chapter by Robert Bringhurst takes up this history where Chappell put down his pen, covering the most recent developments in the printed word. Over 200 illustrations appear throughout. | |
| Five Hundred Years of Printing, Third Edition, Revised 1974-01-30, Penguin (Non-Classics). ISBN: 0140203435 [] (1774505) Steinberg's classic work covers the history of printing with movable type in the following periods: the creative century from 1450-1550 which witnessed the invention and beginnings of practically every single feature that characterizes the modern printing piece, the era of consolidation from 1550-1800, the 19th century in which the era of mechanization began the invention of lithography and ended with Morris's rediscovery of the Middle Ages, the heyday of the private presses from 1900-1950 and finally, the postwar world. Co-published with The British Library. | |
| A Dictionary of Book History
1987-04-16,
Oxford University Press, USA.
ISBN: 0195205200
[]
(2244722)
Books have been with us in one form or another since the dawn of civilization, and the general reader is often in need of information about the written and printed word. This dictionary is an indispensable tool for anyone who seeks quick and easy information on the history of the book, including articles on virtually everything the curious reader will want to know. It presents 650 alphabetically arranged articles of varying length and covers such diverse topics as: bibliographies and bibliographical societies; the history of printing, publishing, and bookselling; famous books, bestiaries, and bibles; and writing in the ancient world. A unique addition to the reference shelf, the work is a must for all those who use and love the printed word. | |
| Nineteenth-Century Printing Practices and the Iron Handpress 2004-06, Oak Knoll Press. ISBN: 1584561009 [686.209034] (1877046) | |
Books on Typography[return to top] | |
| The Elements of Typographic Style
2004-10-09,
Hartley and Marks Publishers.
ISBN: 0881792063
[686.224]
(3577)
This lovely, well-written book is concerned foremost with creating beautiful typography and is essential for professionals who regularly work with typographic designs. Author Robert Bringhurst writes about designing with the correct typeface; striving for rhythm, proportion, and harmony; choosing and combining type; designing pages; using section heads, subheads, footnotes, and tables; applying kerning and other type adjustments to improve legibility; and adding special characters, including punctuation and diacritical marks. The Elements of Typographic Style teaches the history of and the artistic and practical perspectives on a variety of type families that are available in Europe and America today. The last section of the book classifies and displays many type families, offers a glossary of typography terms, and lists type designers and type foundries. The book briefly mentions digital typography, but otherwise ignores it, focusing instead on general typography and page- and type-design issues. Its examples include text in a variety of languages--including English, Russian, German, and Greek--which is particularly helpful if your work has a multinational focus. | |
| A Typographic Workbook: A Primer to History, Techniques, and Artistry
1999-01-04,
John Wiley & Sons.
ISBN: 0471292370
[686.225]
(554966)
Quickly master the concepts and skills you need to successfully design with type a typographic WORKBOOK To help you gain a deeper understanding of the effects produced by various fonts and typographic techniques, designer Kate Clair takes you on a fascinating tour of the innovative potential of type. Extensive visual examples illustrate the use of type as an expressive communication tool. From selecting the right font, to spacing it, to the creative integration of fonts, she explains the decisions made by successful designers. At the same time, she provides step-by-step guidance and numerous practice exercises that help you develop the confidence and skills needed to put that knowledge to work in your own designs. In addition, a detailed history of type is included. A valuable professional resource for working designers and an indispensable training tool for graphic design students, A Typographic Workbook features: * A historical overview of type and typographic technologies * In-depth explanations of the formal qualities of different typefaces * Skill-building exercises and projects to sharpen your skills * Quizzes and review questions that help you gauge your progress * An overview of computer terms and principles | |
| The Case for Legibility 1979-03-15, The Bodley Head Ltd. ISBN: 0370301587 [] (5172535) | |
| A View of Early Typography: Up To About 1600 2002-06, Hyphen. ISBN: 0907259219 [745] (651930) A View of Early Typography has long been regarded as the classic text on the production and use of type in the first 150 years of printing. By focusing on type, Harry Carter goes to the heart of design, the point at which the material processes of printing meet the intellectual concerns of publishers and the nature of the texts they publish. Among the topics covered: the diversity of letterforms (blackletter, roman, italic, and more); the tensions between Latin and the vernacular languages; and the establishment of standards of norms in type design. This is a facsimile of the original edition, of 1969, augmented by a new introduction in which James Mosley explains the significance of the book and gives a short account of Carter's life and work. | |
| Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students (Design Briefs)
2007-02-01,
Princeton Architectural Press.
ISBN: 1568984480
[686.22]
(1458)
The organization of letters on a blank sheet -- or screen -- is the most basic challenge facing anyone who practices design. What type of font to use? How big? How should those letters, words, and paragraphs be aligned, spaced, ordered, shaped, and otherwise manipulated? In this groundbreaking new primer, leading design educator and historian Ellen Lupton provides clear and concise guidance for anyone learning or brushing up on their typographic skills. Thinking with Type is divided into three sections: letter, text, and grid. Each section begins with an easy-to-grasp essay that reviews historical, technological, and theoretical concepts, and is then followed by a set of practical exercises that bring the material covered to life. Sections conclude with examples of work by leading practitioners that demonstrate creative possibilities (along with some classic no-no's to avoid). | |
| An Essay on Typography
1993-01-01,
David R Godine.
ISBN: 0879239506
[769]
(182264)
An Essay on Typography was first published in 1931, instantly recognized as a classic, and has long been unavailable. It represents Gill at his best opinionated, fustian, and consistently humane. It is his only major work on typography and remains indispensable for anyone interested in the art of letter forms and the presentation of graphic information. This manifesto, however, is not only about letters their form, fit, and function but also about man's role in an industrial society. As Gill wrote later, it was his chief object "to describe two worlds that of industrialism and that of the human workman & to define their limits." His thinking about type is still provocative. Here are the seeds of modern advertising unjustified lines, tight word and letter spacing, ample leading. Here, too, is vintage Gill, as polemical as he is practical, as much concerned about the soul of man as the work of man; as much obsessed by the ends as by the means. | |
| Designing with Type: The Essential Guide to Typography (Designing With Type)
2006-05-01,
Watson-Guptill.
ISBN: 0823014134
[686.22]
(10437)
• First published in 1971, used universally ever since • Access to lessons from distinguished typographers around the world through Web site: designingwithtype.com • "An excellent and useful introduction to the subject."—Milton Glaser
New information and new images make this perennial best-seller an even more valuable tool for anyone interested in learning about typography. | |
| Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works (2nd Edition) 2002-07-25, Adobe Press. ISBN: 0201703394 [686.224] (40779) Stop Stealing Sheep, Second Edition is a unique, entertaining, and educational tour through the most basic unit of written communication: type. World-renowned type experts Erik Spiekermann and E.M. Ginger explain in everyday laymen's terms what type is and how you can use it to enhance the legibility, meaning, and aesthetic level of your work. They elegantly touch on all aspects of typography, including the history and mechanics of type, how to train your eye to recognize and choose typefaces, and how to use space and layout to improve overall communication. Because type reaches across all boundaries and continually evolves, this edition is revised and updated to include new chapters on Web typography and other forms of online text display. You need no previous knowledge of typography to enjoy this book and apply its tenets to your daily work. A perennial bestseller since the first edition was published in 1993, Stop Stealing Sheep will draw you in with its beautiful design and layout, which makes liberal use of more than 200 illustrations and photographs. | |
| Letter Forms (Typophile Chap Books, 45.) 2000-06-12, Hartley and Marks Publishers. ISBN: 0881791369 [686.22409] (1122061) | |
| The New Typography (Weimar & Now: German Cultural Criticism)
1998-11-30,
University of California Press.
ISBN: 0520071476
[703]
(613378)
Since its initial publication in Berlin in 1928, Jan Tschichold's The New Typography has been recognized as the definitive treatise on book and graphic design in the machine age. At once a key theoretical document of Central European modernism between the world wars and an invaluable source of working principles for the practicing designer, this classic work enjoys the reputation among book artists that Le Corbusier's Toward a New Architecture has long held among architects. The book's legendary renown is certain to increase with the long-overdue appearance of this first English translation, published in a form that reflects Tschichold's original typography and design. Ranging from theoretical discussions of typography in the age of photography and mechanical standardization to practical considerations in the design of business forms, The New Typography remains essential reading for designers, art historians, and all those concerned with the evolution of visual communication in the twentieth century. | |
Books on Book Design[return to top] | |
| Design of Books 1993-03-01, Chronicle Books. ISBN: 081180304X [686] (859002) | |
| Type Spaces
2003-09,
Hyphen.
ISBN: 0907259197
[720]
(705785)
Type Spaces examines pages of books printed and published by Aldus Manutius in Venice around 1500. By measuring the word-spaces, author Peter Burnhill discerns a system of measurement at work and comes up with the surprising suggestion that this printing shows a unified system of dimensions: of type size, of "leading" or line-increment, of line length, and of text area. He argues that the exceptional figures of Manutius and his punchcutter, Francesco Griffo, used a set of "in-house norms." This system of unified measurement has a rationality that can apply to any process of type design, in any age, and with any system of production, making the book relevant even for contemporary designers. Since the passing of metal type, we have had no clear method of measuring type size and Burnhill's work suggests a new (or very old) approach to measurement in typography. | |
| Printing poetry: A workbook in typographic reification /by Clifford Burke 1980, Scarab Press. ISBN: 0912962011 [] (2420248) | |
Books on Printing Types[return to top] | |
| Letters of Credit: A View of Type Design
2003-12-01,
David R Godine.
ISBN: 1567922406
[760]
(569265)
THE REVOLUTION in typesetting - a revolution that over the past two decades has eliminated a five-hundred-year-old system of hot metal production and replaced it with one of photo-generated and computer-driven composition - shows no sign of winding down. This book, more than any other we know, traces the steps that went into that revolution and simultaneously makes the argument that the letter forms themselves are in process of evolution. Tracy argues that, whether they are of the sixteenth or the twentieth century, the forms that comprise our alphabet are subject to the same rules of good taste, proportion, and clarity that have always obtained. But what we face today is vastly different from fifty years ago. For the first time, new technology has made the proliferation (and, as some would maintain, debasement) of letter forms fast and easy (or quick and dirty.) With fifty years of professional experience on both sides of the Atlantic (including thirty years as head of type design for the British Linotype Company), Tracy is in a unique position to make this argument and arrive at his sad conclusion: the design of distinguished, contemporary typefaces is far outnumbered by the mediocre and downright bad. Part of the reason for this deplorable deterioration is a lack of critical analysis of the particular esthetics involved. This step-by-step examination of type-design esthetics is precisely what Tracy provides here, while avoiding both the promoter's hype and the manufacturer's claims. Here are the gut issues of what makes type good or bad, legible or unreadable. Extensively illustrated with both typefaces and line drawings, this book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in thehistory of letters or in the artistry and peculiar problems that lie behind their production. | |
| Anatomy of a Typeface
1990-07-01,
David R Godine.
ISBN: 0879233338
[686.224]
(58855)
To the layman, all printing types look the same. But for typographers, graphic artists and others of that lunatic fringe who believe that the letters we look at daily (and take entirely for granted) are of profound importance, the question of how letters are formed, what shape they assume, and how they have evolved remains one of passionate and continuing concern. Lawson explores the vast territory of types, their development and uses, their antecedents and offspring, with precision, insight, and clarity. Written for the layman but containing exhaustive research, drawings and synopses of typefaces, this book is an essential addition to the library of anyone s typographic library. It is, as Lawson states, not written for the printer convinced that there are already too many typefaces, but rather for that curious part of the population that believes the opposite; that the subtleties of refinement as applies to roman and cursive letters have yet to be fully investigated and that the production of the perfect typeface remains a goal to be as much desired by present as by future type designers. Anyone aspiring to typographic wisdom should own and treasure this classic. | |
| Printing Types Their History Forms and Use: A Study in Survivals 1980-06, Dover Pubns. ISBN: 0486239292 [686.224] (2005345) | |
| Counterpunch: Making type in the sixteenth century, designing typefaces now
1997-12-01,
Princeton Architectural Press.
ISBN: 0907259065
[686.2210944]
(728537)
Counterpunch is both an explanation of the 16th-century method of?cutting metal type and an impassioned plea for contemporary designers to incorporate the lessons of history as a means of creating typography in our digital age. Smeijers sees the counterpunch technique as essential for ensuring the regularity of form, repeatability, and speed of production necessary for rational design.? ?Smeijers traces the history of letterform design to discover how technique influenced the shape of type, whether the metal punches of the past or today's computer-generated forms. Counterpunch is generously?illustrated with drawings by the author, examples of early type specimens, and detailed photographs of punches. | |
| An Introduction to the History of Printing Types: An Illustrated Summary of the Main Stages in the Development of Type Design from 1440 Up to the Present Day : An Aid to Type Face Identification 1998-07, Oak Knoll Press. ISBN: 1884718442 [686.221] (1730590) This work offers an authoritative account, well illustrated, of the evolution of type design from the earliest blackletters to present day forms. For those concerned with the proper use of hundreds of type faces now available, this book provides an essential framework on which can be built an appreciative understanding of the rich heritage of expressive letter design that lies in the printer's case. It simplifies the problems of identifying unfamilar types. Co-published with The British Library. | |
Books on Type Design[return to top] | |
| A Tally of Types: With Additions by Several Hands ; And With a New Introduction by Mike Parker
1999-05-01,
David R Godine.
ISBN: 1567920047
[686.224]
(448645)
This landmark book, first published in 1953 in a private keepsake edition and later revised and expanded, remains an indispensable reference for students of book design. It presents Stanley Morison at his best: opinionated, eclectic, offering his characteristic blend of erudition and insight. Finally available again after many years, A Tally of Types discusses twenty different faces, many cut under Morison's direct supervision, and most of them now translated into digital settings. This is the real history behind the letters: who first cut them, how they were used (and should be used), and how the modern versions became accessible. Each essay is set in the typeface it discusses, making the book an exciting visual adventure as well as teaching of primary importance. An invaluable aid for modern practitioners and historians alike, this edition contains a new introduction by Mike Parker, former co-director of Typographic Development at the Mergenthaler Corporation. | |
| Type: The Secret History of Letters 2004-04-24, I. B. Tauris. ISBN: 1850433976 [686.22409] (605704) "Good typography should be invisible", so goes the old maxim--the typeface should carry the message, but not distract with its own personality. But if you've ever wondered how type was developed, exactly what a Goudy Friar is, or if Baskerville has anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, then Type will answer these questions and more. This is the story of the faces behind type, letters and typography: it tells of the passions and obsessions of its creators, of war, persecution and political upheaval, of business and technological breakthrough, of rivalry, death and disinterment. With the skill of a novelist, Simon Loxley weaves the story of letters through the history of our time. From Gutenberg's first moveable type to the internet, type has grown out of ambition, jealousy, desire, treachery and love. Never again will you look at your letters, your bank statements or your books in the same way. | |
| Encyclopaedia of Typefaces, Fifth Edition
2001-12-31,
Seven Dials.
ISBN: 1841881392
[686.224]
(1024156)
The standard typography desktop reference—now in its 5th revision, with new resources sure to please today’s graphic artists, desktop publishers and website designers. Nearly 2,000 fonts cover every need. Each typeface is arranged alphabetically, with Roman, Lineale, and Script versions, usually in upper and lower case alphabets and numerals. Along with new fonts, illustrations show many classic typefaces that are only found here. Bonus: a glossary of technical terms and tips on classifying types.
| |
Books on Letterpress Manuals[return to top] | |
| General Printing: An Illustrated Guide to Letterpress Printing 2006-09-01, Liber Apertus Press. ISBN: 0978588142 [] (347731) General Printing is a comprehensive guide to letterpress printing. With 300 photos and 140 illustrations, it offers detailed step-by-step visual instruction. Key topics include: handsetting type, taking proofs, mitering rules, locking up a form, adding packing and make-ready, feeding a platen press, advanced composition, design, typography, and tricks of the trade. "The best all-around introductory book for traditional letterpress printing, this manual is profusely illustrated with detailed and useful photographs and should occupy a prominent place on the shelf of every letterpress printer. It will serve as the next best thing to an apprenticeship at the feet of a master printer, and is certain to be used as a handy reference throughout your printing journey." --David S. Rose, Introduction to Letterpress Printing | |
| Printing Digital Type On The Hand-operated Flatbed Cylinder Press 2004-10, Bieler Press. ISBN: 0931460395 [686.2312] (647942) This monograph provides a wealth of detailed information on printing digital type with proof presses such as the Vandercook, Challenge, and Asbern. Subjects covered include digital type, computer practices, configuring digital type for letterpress (includes a simple font modification sequence), magnetic bases and how to make them, photopolymer plates and equipment, the photopolymer platemaking process, plate registration, plate travel, impression, cylinder packing and makeready, rollers and inking, presswork, press practices, and a word or two about ink and paper. Included is a source listing of manufacturers and distributors of equipment, materials, and supplies. | |
| American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth-Century 1986-06, Myriade Press. ISBN: 0918142202 [] (5561825) | |
| Printing on the Iron Handpress
1997-09,
Oak Knoll Press.
ISBN: 188471840X
[686.2253]
(2076603)
A master printer, Richard-Gabriel Rummonds has written a work destined to become a standard text on the art of fine printing. Students, printers, and printing historians will find the new book enlightening and extremely instructive. Filling the need for a systematic, step-by-step manual for using this time-honored piece of equipment, the award-winning printer presents how to print on the iron handpress in comprehensive and thorough detail. This work contains over 430 illustrations and technical diagrams meticulously drawn by George Laws, and 37 photographs of famous, historical and contemporary fine printers at their presses. End material include a glossary/index, bibliography, and a list of suppliers. | |
| Printing for Pleasure 1976-06, Bodley Head. ISBN: 0370104439 [686.2] (1359488) John Ryder's book is a primer for the amateur, from the choice of press and the purchase of type, paper, and ink to the planning, designing, and production of the printed material itself. | |
| Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction
1996-07-02,
Dover Publications.
ISBN: 048629157X
[686.302]
(91502)
Expert guide to creating fine books by hand. Thorough, detailed instructions, with over 270 helpful illustrations, cover materials, tools and equipment, making a slipcase, rebinding an old book, more. Also, 8 specific projects: dust jacket; blank book, single signature; folio; manuscript binding; music binding, 3 more. Introduction.
| |
| Practical Typecasting 1993-08, Oak Knoll Press. ISBN: 0938768336 [686.221] (3442271) Section One covers typecasting machines and techniques and contains chapters on the basic principles of casting type and the hand mold, pivotal casting machines, monotype display machines, the Thompson caster, and foundry automatics. Section Two deals with the service crafts and contains chapters on finishing type, maintenance of equipment, matrix engineering, the Benton engraver, the Gorton engraver, electros, making matrices from type, and design guidelines. | |