Book Description

Getting equivalent typefaces on Mac and Windows machines has long been a thorny issue for designers, who in the past have had to work with an array of related Type 1 and TrueType fonts to achieve their desired effect. Not so today: With the introduction of Adobe Font Library and its revolutionary OpenType fonts, you now have one font file that works on both platforms—and an indispensable reference that displays every typeface in this glorious new collection. When it comes to choosing typefaces, there's nothing like the printed page—especially when that page shows not only the characters of each typeface but organizes them both alphabetically and by style, and includes an easy-to use quick reference that shows what each font looks like and where to find it. You'll learn the distinguishing characteristics of different styles and be exposed to a rash of OpenType typographic glyphs. If you need to know type, this is the first and last word on the topic.

Reviews (1)

Adobe Font Reference
A must have font guide for every graphic designer's library. ... Read more

Book Description

With 100,000 copies sold, Graphic Design Cookbook is one of the most useful all-purpose resources for designers and anyone who wants to create a dynamic layout for magazines, newsletters, books, posters, and other media. Now released with a fresh new cover, its more than a thousand line drawings illustrate effective design devices, type treatments, spatial solutions, and pictorial presentations, allowing examination and comparison of various options in no time. The Graphic Design Cookbook can be opened to virtually any page for instant access to great ideas. As a catalyst for cooking up endless new design recipes, this classic goes on inspiring one generation of designers to the next. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Nice Book if you know nothing about design
I think this book is for people that don't have any experience on graphic design whatsoever. It doesn't explain a thing about layout, why to use this or that layout, what that layout represents, etc... It's just blank pages with variations of the same concept. Though to be fair the book can start a tiny little spark here and then.

The only thing I was surprised of was the quality of the paper used. My advice to the publisher: invest more in the content (or invest at all, maybe some text or explanation would be nice) and less in the stock paper.

If you are looking for a nice book about layout I strongly recommend you buy Jim Krause: 'Layout Index' (That or any from the "Index" collection)

Great for reference...
I like this book, alot. It doesn't have any wordy explanations behind the techniques, just various ways to design common elements.

People complain that the book is too basic, but the purpose of the book is to be used as reference and to combine several of the techniques into one design. I think the simplicity of the designs are important because you are not distracted by a pretty photo or bright colors, all your attention is on layout.

This book is a great guide to generate ideas for your designs, buy it.

Great Layout Index Reference
If you know what to expect you will not be disappointed with this book, unlike some of the other reviewers. Graphic Design Cookbook is an extremely useful tool for graphic designers looking for layout ideas. Rather than sorting through dozens of graphic design books to get ideas, this book has sections for every aspect of page layout placement including: page numbers, paragraph placement, titles, and MUCH MORE!!
This book has virtually NO writing or explanations in it. This reference should be used only for visual layout placement ideas, and not for concrete explanations. I use this book whenever I need to make flyers, print ads, or any other print materials. EXTREMELY HELPFUL source and for this cheap cheap price, you can't beat the resourcefulness of this little book.
Another great resource that is very similiar to this book is Jim Krause's "Layout Index."

A BIG collection of lay-outs
The book is almost what the title says: a Cookbook. It is full of sketched 'recepies' of layouts (most of them mediocre), almost no text, organized in categories.
If it really were a Cookbook, you would have some text, explaining a bit more thoroughly what you could do with the idea presented.

It's a book you learn very little from - you are supposed to apply what is presented. The book laid in a very arid manner, being plainly dull at some points. I did not like it at all.

If you're looking for a real Cookbook, get Jim Krause's 'Idea Index'! It not only gives you the ideas, but also has 'suggested serving variations', so you can spice-up the concepts presented.

Amazing Book - BUY NOW!!!
This book isn't available in New Zealand and a tutor had one. I came to Amazon.com and ordered the book. It took 10 days to get to New Zealand and was cheaper than it would be if available here.

I design publications, CDs and web sites and the book is incredible for giving me ideas. It's brilliant. If you are a designer and you are a little short of ideas, or you're learning how to design BUY THE BOOK!!!.

Thanks too to Amazon.com for perfect service. ... Read more

Book Description

DIGITAL BOOK DESIGN AND PUBLISHING is profusely illustrated with photographs of exemplary artist’s books from the United States, Australia and Europe. Artists whose work is featured include… William Blake, Helen Brunner, Bill Burke, David Carson, John Crombie, John Diamond-Nigh, Johanna Drucker, Albrecht Durer, Carol Flax, Brad Freeman,Johann Gutenberg, Christian Ide, Warren Lehrer, Joan Lyons, Nathan Lyons, Peter Lyssiotis, Clifton Meador, Scott McCarney, Deborah Muirhead, Shinro Ohtake, Keith Smith, Laurie Snyder, Carl Sesto, Sonia Sheridan, Karen Wirth, John Wood, the Wayzgoose Press, Phillip Zimmermann and Janet Zweig. The book is 308 pages long, with 444 illustrations printed in full color. It is soft bound and Smythe sewn. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The only digital design book you will ever need!
For several years I have used Digital Book Design and Publishing to teach students how to combine their photography and writing to create artist's books that rival professionally printed publications. This book goes right to the heart of what you need to know: How to correct images for the highest quality reproduction of photographs, whether scanned or from digital sources; how to use typography, instead of letting typography use you; how to sensitively design a layout with picture and text, depending on the expressive message of the book - something dreadfully lacking in most "how to" books; how to bind books and create portfolios that challenge the traditional definition of what one might think a "book" is; and how to avoid breaking copyright laws. The book is richly illustrated with every kind of book you can imagine, which motivates students to think in non-traditional ways about artist's books. The information is also perfect for someone with more prosaic projects, such as a cookbook or first aid instructional booklet (both of these were projects done by students who didn't fancy themselves as "artists.") This book is especially good for people who are computer phobic. Holleley makes you feel like your computer is your best friend. When you buy this one book, it's like getting 5 books for the price of one. A great deal, a great inspiration - a must on everyone's bookshelf.

4.5 stars: Very good primer!
Let's set the record straight. What this book is NOT is a comprehensive guide to help you in setting up a book design & publishing shop, although it does provide an excellent primer on the topic for those of us not coming from the print industry. What this book is tailored for is the audience of photographers, artists, designers and writers who want to "go" one more step beyond just putting together the content elements for their works.

The book is assembled around five building blocks:

-Establishing a Layout Style: designing and typesetting the book.
-Assembling the document digitally: goes into some detail about the most popular page layout program out there, QuarkXpress. Although it covers the most importants elements of version 4 (version 6 is out as of this writing), most of the "tips" provided will still be useful. If you need a 'bible' on the topic, you will need to pick up the "QuarkXpress Bible".
-Preparing images for reproduction: the art of scanning and retouching images.
-Printing the document: considerations about color space, printing from different applications (Quark, Acrobat), effect on different types of paper, printing to InkJet printers and so on.
-Binding the book: depending on the binding resources at hand, this section might offer a lot more information than you will ever need to know about the topic.

Finally, there is a short section devoted to the very debated topic of copyright and the law. In general, I found the book to be very useful and beautifully illustrated, but it still is a primer. For each of the sections mentioned above, in order to deeply understand and get a command of them, you will need other references. I give it 4.5 stars.

Editor's Choice: "A Masterful Vision of Publishing"
Holleley's new book Digital Book Design & Publishing is a masterful vision that brings together all the elements of the new digital technologies into a resource for photographers, artists, authors, historians, teachers and anyone who would like to see their information made into a single document.

This book will appeal to a wide community of readers -- not just the desktop publisher or publications designer. Aside from its essential information of publishing in a digital age, it also celebrates the book as a medium which will always portray the very best of the minds of people. Whether your book becomes a mass produced best seller, or a hand-made, one-of-a-kind art treasure Holleley's Digital Book will help you make it happen.

Educators:

I also feel strongly this is an important book for educators. College and University level graphic design, printing, publishing and even journalism curricula planners should seriously consider integrating this book into their plan. As a university instructor myself, I can see this as an important part of any visual art and literary foundation program. It will arm those freshmen with a superior breadth of understanding in preparation for the higher level courses.

Fred Showker
Editor/Publisher: DT&G Magazine
The Design-Bookshelf dot com ... Read more

Book Description

Includes 80 full-color pages addressing the important issue of color in typographic design.
* New case studies showcase design for Web sites, CD-ROMs, and environmental graphics in addition to the existing case studies which detail examples of visual identification systems, book and magazine design, film and video text, and wayfinding graphics, along with outlines for analysis and solutions.
* Revised technology section emphasizes current digital type technology.
* Five new typefaces are included in the type specimens chapter.
* New information is included on legibility and the Internet. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

One of the best
I have been a graphic designer for over 20 years. I teach typography at the university level. I learned typography the old-fashioned way: by specifying, setting, and manipulating it by hand. From that background I can confidently state that THE best way to truly understand how type works is through understanding the forms of letters, words, and groups of words.

Students trying to understand typography today have a huge disincentive to slow down and truly study how type works and that is, the speed of the computer. It's easy to go right past the fundamentally subtle nature of letterforms and combinations thereof. You can't understand type at the pace that you can pull down a menu and select a typeface while rushing to get to the more exciting steps of design.

This book is one of the very best for SHOWING what type is really about. Comments about the layout of the book and the size of artwork in it should not dissuade students and instructors; this book will show you what type IS and how it works in design.

Wow, what a letdown
This is one of the rare books that my art college actually required me to purchase for a Typography class. The design of this book is poor and very dated. Just take a look at the cover. The first chapter offers a timeline which is interesting in concept--it features a brief history of lettering and type, and adds images of other significant events happening at the same time. But the timeline design forces you to jump back and forth from images to text and the grid layout forces the image placement to be so inconsistent that you give up trying to find the corresponding text. The rest of the book provides interesting and useful information for the type neophyte, but again, its WAY too dated to be a required textbook. I'm sorry I bought this book.

shame of shames
Very well organized, structured, etc, etc.... but, can you believe the illustrations of posters and printed examples in this book have NO INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTUAL SIZE of them????? What happened??? Were all designers doing postcards and stamps before our time??? Shame on the authors, shame on the publishers. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most popular Macintosh books ever written, The Mac is not a typewriter has been called the "Strunk and White of typography." Best-selling author Robin Williams's simple, logical principles for using type to produce beautiful, professional documents are as true now as they were when the original edition was published in 1989.This updated edition includes new examples and expanded information dedicated to the practical advice that made the first edition an enduring bestseller. Throughout, Robin shows you the small details that separate the pros from the amateurs:typographer versus typewriter quotation marks, en and em dashes, tabs and indents, kerning, leading, white space, widows and orphans, and hanging punctuation. If you prepare documents, you'll find The Mac is not a typewriter, Second Edition an indispensable guide. And those who read your documents will recognize the work of a pro, even if they don't know a curly quote from curly fries. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

She said it first
The reviewer identified as "sonpraises" says: "What is important for the non professional typist to know (use "smart" quotes, don't space twice after a period, italicize instead of underlining, create a long (em) dash by typing shift + option + -) are widely discussed in other places."

They are widely discussed because Robin Williams brought them to the world's attention with the first edition of this book.

Robin said elsewhere that the Macintosh brought about the greatest revolution in printing since Gutenberg. She was in the forefront of this printing revolution, giving people information once known and used primarily by printers, teaching graphic design and typography to the newly developed industry of desktop publishing.

Some day we won't need Robin's book, because people will have forgotten the conventions used on a typewriter to show emphasis and the limitations of a typewriter's keyboard and mono-spaced type, and their computers will automatically provide smart quotes and em dashes. Until then, The Mac Is Not a Typewriter (and its twin, The PC Is Not a Typewriter) needs to be read and shared.

All your documents will look better because of this book.
The information in this particular book is indispensible to ANYONE who prepares documents for print, whether it is a newsletter, a poster, or a simple business letter. Even things as simple as pointing out how to create an em dash will make all your documents look better. Robin Williams has an excellent writing style that lends itself to repeated readings. She has written many books since, many of which elaborate on the points in this book, but this is still the one I recommend to people who want to know more about type. I gave this book to someone who was producing a school newsletter, and the publication went from ransom note to cohesive publication overnight! If I was teaching a "Word Processing 101" course, I'd use this as the textbook.

Succinct reference for everyone.
Much has changed in the desktop publishing world in the eight years since the first edition of The Mac is Not a Typewriter but the basic rules for creating professional-level type have not. Prolific Mac writer Robin Williams updated her style manual to remind all of us of the importance of proper style in professional and personal communications. With only 80 pages, it is a quick read of common problems and mistakes including line spacing, quotation marks, apostrophes, dashes, underlining, capitals, tabs, spacing, justified text and includes two appendices summarizing rules and shortcuts. Inclusion of the history of typesetting and manuscript styling and her sense of humor transforms a rather dry, textbook-like subject into an interesting and fun read. Who doesn't use their computer to prepare documents? Though the title might not grab the attention of some readers, don't be fooled. Everyone can benefit from this style manual.

Buy this book!
Hands down, this is the most important computer book I have ever read.

If you have a Mac, you need this book.
This is a must have book. Why? Because a Mac and the typographic capabilities built right into it allow you, a regular person to create professional level documents and you need to learn a new set of rules. The typewriter is a horse of a completely different color. This books explains what your Mac can do, how to make your documents better and the rules of the road when it comes to creating much better documents. All in a fun and easy to read way. Enjoy your Mac even more with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

With its ever-tightening integration with Adobe's full suite of creative products and its own increasingly sophisticated feature set, InDesign is winning legions of Quark and FrameMaker converts. If you’re among them–or if you've decided to sidestep those programs altogether–you need this book. In these pages, the Adobe Creative Team uses a series of project-based lessons to provide a thorough grounding in the InDesign school of page design. You'll find step-by-step lessons in InDesign CS2 fundamentals plus plenty of the advanced tips and techniques you need to take your page designs to the next level. The workbook-style format includes self-paced lessons followed by review questions to reinforce the knowledge and a CD with all of the files required to complete the book's projects. Throughout, special focus is given to the features new to InDesign CS: the new Adobe Bridge file browser; object styles, snippets, smarter text handling, the ability to hide or show layers in Photoshop and PDF files, and much more.

Book Description

Here is a short, well-written book that covers the material essential for learning LATEX without any unnecessary detail. It includes incisive examples that teach LATEX in a powerful yet abbreviated fashion. This is the handbook to have if you don't want to wade through extraneous material. This manual includes the following crucial features:

-numerous examples of widely used mathematical expressions;

-complete documents illustrating the creation of articles, reports, and overhead projector slides;

-troubleshooting tips to help you pinpoint an error;

-details of how to set up a bibliography and an index;

-information about LATEX resources available on the Internet.

Why do you need to learn LATEX ? LATEX has become an extremely popular typesetting system and is widely used throughout the sciences. As a student you may need to typeset reports and theses in LATEX (particularly if you are a graduate student in any mathematics or computer science discipline). Or you may be someone who had planned to "eventually" get around to learning LATEX , but you are still using older systems and methods of typesetting. Procrastinate no more!

The authors have elected to cover LATEX 2e, the latest standard version at the time of publication. The old and new versions are very similar and it is clear that the LATEX 2e version will soon dominate. An appendix discusses the differences between 2e and the older version, 2.09. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great investment for the beginner.
I wish I had this book when I was learning LaTeX! It is a concise beginner's guide that will get the reader up to speed in a short amount of time. The book does a nice job of briefly introducing more advanced topics, and where to go for more information. This book will get you 80% where you want to go, and I would recommend it as the best book for any new LaTeX user. As a side note, Section 5.6 of the book, "Great Moments in LaTeX History" is absolutely hilarious!

The best first LaTeX book
This amazing little book is the best introduction to LaTeX (version 2e). It is hard to believe how much useful information it contains; it shows you how to incopporate pictures, create indices, tables of contents, math typesetting, etc. The style is wonderful and witty. The left half of each page shows you what LaTeX commands produce the output on the right half. I've been using LaTeX for a while without really reading any book cover to cover, big mistake and many frustrations.
My best recipe for learning LaTeX is: Start with this book, read it cover to cover, practice it, then move to Kopka and Daly's book.

Excellent
This book, geared for the absolute LaTeX beginner, will have anyone up and running in no time. In many ways it is very similar to Gratzer's small book only shorter and without the discussion of AMSLaTeX. Some of the organizational choices made by the authors, however, are quite puzzling. It's not until the middle of the book that they discuss quotation marks and dashes. That material should have been in the second chapter, though in a book this small--80 or so pages which could be profitably studied for two or three days--I suppose that does not matter much. If you've ever wanted to begin the daunting task of mastering LaTeX, this book along with Gratzer's and Diller's will make you impressively adept in no time. ... Read more

Book Description

This title teaches through a visual, flexible approach how to create desktop publications for print and electronics distribution using Adobe PageMaker. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Trash for Cash
Reviewer: John R Iler Jr from Bethesda, MD, USA
This book needs a CD. I purchased the book to learn PageMaker, but was referred to a website to download the required files. Some of the files were downloadable, but the instructor files were not accessable -- and these files are necessary for completing the assignments.
Unfortunately, this book is used by many instructors. My instructor has been promising us the files for weeks on disk, but so far hasn't delivered.

If you want to learn PageMaker, buy Classroom in a Book by Adobe and save yourself a lot of heartache (It's got a CD with everything you need). Besides, Mr. Proot's style of instruction is less than clear, and while this download the files yourself approach may save the author some $$$ in not having to include a CD, it's a very weird way of doing business. The book is a ripoff. Big time.

- ... Read more

Book Description

Emil Ruder's Typography is the timeless textbook from which generations of typographer and graphic designers have learned their fundamentals. Ruder, one of the great twentieth-century typographers was a pioneer who abandoned the conventional rules of his discipline and replaced them with new rules that satisfied the requirements of his new typography. Now in its sixth printing, this book has a hallowed place on the bookshelves of both students and accomplished designers. Dimension: 83/4 x 11 inches, over 500 examples, English, German & French text. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a unique introduction to Microsoft Publisher that allows the reader to learn this software quickly with as little effort as possible. Featuring an easy-to-use text and excellent organization, Microsoft Publisher is about solving business problems, not about learning software features.It employs Microsoft-recommended “procedural syntax,” ensuring that the user does the right thing in the right place. Organized into “lessons”, this book covers such topics as getting started, working with text, working with graphics, design sets, tables and mail merge, and creating a website.For any reader that needs to utilize Microsoft Publisher to meet their business needs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Best computer book I've ever used
After wasting time and money on other nearly-worthless computer software books in the past, I wasn't expecting this book to be much better--but wow, was I suprised. It's wonderful! It's written as a text book, with chapter objectives, excercises, etc. There's even a companion web site with project files you can download to use in conjunction with the book..and if you are an instructor teaching with the book, there are additional instructor resources available online.

The graphics are good, the instructions are easy to follow, and each chapter teaches practical skills to help you master common tasks and projects. It's amazingly fun and easy to use.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is learning Publisher for any type of project...or to anyone who is teaching others how to use Publisher. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Learning design
We go at a frenzied pace to acquire and learn programs like Adobe PageMaker, Illustrator, InDesign, Corel Draw, Microsoft Publisher and applications of this type, namely those that are very much involved in 'desktop publishing'. Once learned we then sit down and design a newsletter, flyer, brochure or whatever vehicle we pick to convey a message to an unsuspecting public. But, when you sit down and really think about it, who is the 'unsuspecting' party? In my humble opinion it is I, the so-called designer of the material that we foist on that public out there.

All too often, we forget, or really never realize that learning desktop publishing programs is but the first step. What we surely need after that is some training on the principles of good design. For those of you that have gone through extensive training in design schools, you know what I mean and can just go on to the book at hand for a concise primer on design. For those that have had no training in graphic design, listen up for your design skills are about to get much more extensive and sharpened.

The book, Before & After Page Design, could not have a simpler or more descriptive title. The title says it all. The author takes a 'before' design of some type and then, in the course of several pages, transforms that design into the 'after' that leaves you saying, 'Sure, why didn't I do that in the first place?". Granted, page design, like all art, is a subjective field, open to the whim and interpretation of the designer. However, I must admit that the initial designs presented (the 'before') in many, if not most, cases would have represented my final efforts. But after seeing the transformation to the final (or 'after') design, I must admit that it was not only more graphically stunning but totally logical.

Absolutely perfect
I have read this book thoroughly and I love it. It's better than any book of it's kind, and I would recommend it absolutely. I do, in fact, whenever I get the chance.

I own a bunch of books like this (including a couple by Robin Williams), but no other book is written (and presented!) so clearly. McWade is both a designer, making things look good, and a communicator, making things clear. He knows his stuff, but also knows how to make it accessible. And it's worked for me. I'm no professional graphic designer, but I was able to improve the look, and more importantly the usability, of all our corporate paper documents because of what I learned from this book. My partner is amazed (and very pleased). A very good $20 investment.

Though I've been interested in design and typography for years, it wasn't until I read Before & After that I really felt I had the specific tools to make it work. He gives very specific advice and recommendations (point and pica sizes), but still gives you the confidence and know-how to deviate from his recommendations.

Two nits: while everything is explained, not everything is explained in order. For instance, on page 11 he's telling me to use Century Light Condensed 16/18, but it's not until page 37 that I discover that the 16 is the font size and 18 is the leading. That only happens a couple of places, but it something he should have fixed.

Secondly, a few of the examples were clearly written a decade ago and not updated. The principles are still completely valid (and very, very good). But the color scheme on page 160 was so 1980s it was distracting. Sad, since that was hands down the best (and most comprehensive) chapter in the book: "Create a do-it-all business portfolio." Buy it for that section alone.

Seriously, no small business should exist without this book.

McWade Gathers all the Before & Afters in one BIG book
In case you didn't get this, this book is built from years of newsletter and publication ( ads, flyers, business cards, etc) design in the mighty Before & After magazine.

See: http://www.bamagazine.com/ for a taste and some free goodies.

The design examinations here are thoughtful, well-reasoned and thorough from choosing colors to all-important voicing of typeography.

This book is also much cheaper than buying all the back-issues of the magazine. The new design and format do a great job of presenting the designs.

Jim, Before & After subscriber since issue one

John McWade is a genius...
and this is his first book.

John knows how to teach design better than anyone I've ever met (or could even imagine!) He understands the leverage points and he has an innate sense of what is good and what's not.

I've been subscribing to John's newsletter for five years (and bugging him to write a book for 4) and I can't tell how pleased I am that it's finally done.

Move that mouse finger quick! Buy a copy. You won't regret it.

Seth Godin
Author and wanna-be designer ... Read more

Book Description

This new book provides comprehensive design solutions as they relate to today's technology. The techniques can be applied by the student using any desktop publishing program. The first half of the book establishes a solid foundation in the wide range of design and production components used to complete a project - type, paper, color, grids, templates, organization and critiquing skills. Real-world constraints like budget, time and output devices are also explored. The second part of the book gives examples of 25 of the most typical projects, including letterhead, reports, brochures and newsletters. Page elements, audience, effect, postal requirements and printing options for each are also provided. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A must have for desktop publishers!
This is an excellent reference manual that supports both the beginner and the more advanced desktop publisher. The layout of the book is particularly helpful in locating materials for specific projects. I can easily find examples of a publication type to use for a reference. I also never realized the importance of choosing the correct paper. This chapter was very enlightening. As a new web designer, I found the information regarding design levels especially useful. This book will be on my reference shelf for a long time.

Covers Desktop publishing, layout, design & style.
A highly useful reference covering virtually every aspect of desktop publishing layout, design, and style. The book provides a broad foundation for the procedures and methods employed in contemporary electronic publishing. Numerous illustrations and examples are provided. Sample chapters include: Establishing a Process, Living with the Software, Type Formatting Information, Typefaces and Their Uses, Quality Control Methods, and Web Design Packages.

Great book, comprehensive and easy to follow
As a student of desktop publishing I can only say I wish I had found this book sooner; it would have made things a lot easier. With this book, you will need no other on this subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Adobe InDesign f/x and Design takes you to the heart of this powerful new desktop publishing tool. Get up to speed on InDesign's toolset and then tackle advanced, professional-level situations, such as repurposing print content for the Web, producing catalogs from databases, and working seamlessly between InDesign and other Adobe products. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Where's the F/X?
I thought this book included some F/Xs but when opening the book I realised the book does not include any tips and tricks of F/X. Anyhow, for a beginner this book can be useful but for an advanced user it's useless.

WOW!
This book offers strong advice and training for novice Graphic Arts Professionals delivering completed projects to vendors. For all beginners in graphics arts, desktop publishing, and computer design and graphics.

I recommend this book to anyone interested to take a forward step toward Design. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide to computer typesetting using TeX is written by DonaldKnuth, the system's creator. TeX offers both writers andpublishers the ability to produce plain or technical text,especially text containing a great deal of mathematics,comparable to the work of the finest printers. Novice and expertalike will find The TeXbook useful; it is accessible to thebeginner, and also contains the details required by experiencedusers. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Detailed, but poorly organized
While this book is fairly detailed, and covers the method TeX processes lines completely, it is for the most part poorly organized. It seems to be intended more as a tutorial than as a reference.

The more advanced methods are interspersed in an almost haphazard way with the beginning techniques. Simple typesetting problems like creating multiple columns, changing margins, and using a different font size are covered very obliquely, and it takes multiple readings to figure out how to do such things.

However, the section on creating mathematical equations is very well done, and I was soon able to master very complicated formatting. The book also talks about "proper" typesetting--the three different dashes and when to use them, the difference between spacing after an abreviation and a sentence-ending period, etc. I only wish Knuth had included all those great tidbits in a table somewhere--sometimes it can take quite a long time to hunt down the information.

TeX is a wonderful typestting language that is great for anything from math reports to psychology research papers, to book typesetting. Unfortunately this book does a poor job of explaining the language, and is not a good reference for someone who is familiar with it.

Brilliant, but weak as a reference
I bought the TeXbook two years ago, but finally spent a few days reading it cover to cover -- and I am impressed. As many others, I started exploring plain TeX because I wanted more from LaTeX. I was surprised to find how simple and, yes, *elegant* TeX is in comparison. I guess TeX is to LaTeX as C is to C++. Certainly do not buy this book if you just want to use LaTeX!

The writing is superb, full of fine detail and more than a few clever jokes. Why can't recent books about modern systems be so delightful? Maybe David Pogue's Missing Manual series comes close, but the topics are not quite as technical.

As a reference, the TeXbook is weak because each command or concept is scattered across so many places: one introductory chapter, one summary chapter, in exercises, in "dangerous bend" passages, and so on. I believe the book is best organized for front to back reading, although probably in two or three passes if you include the dangerous bends. For reference, I prefer TeX by Topic by Victor Eijkhout. It is out of print, but available for download on his web site.

The paperback edition of the TeXbook is spiral bound. I appreciate that it lays flat, but the back pages are always falling out of the binding!

Aaack! run away, newbies!
For someone who wishes to make TeX a way of life, ok, this book is probably great. But if you are trying to learn LaTeX so you can typeset a doc the way everyone else does it, check out Lamport's book on LaTeX, and also Goossens. This book is written like a textbook, bringing up everything and never getting to "So you want to do this? Ok, here's how." F'get about it!

A must have for all TeX users
LaTeX that most peoples prefer to TeX is useful for reams of technical paper where quality doesn't matter (reports, notes, thesis), but without turning to a professional typesetter, you cannot attain good results without a serious commitment to the study of TeX.

The TeXbook is what you need for this purpose. If you do not intend to go beyond the dangerous bend, you may find LaTeX more suited to your needs.

Secondary, it can serves as a model for writers of technical books, with its index, clarity and organization (Knuth's style put apart, of course--for this one being sometime excessive, I would rate this book only 4.9/5)

Excellent. The definitive work on th subject.
Whatever you might think of TeX (work of genius to heinous hack seems to be roughly the range of common views), this is the definitive work by the designer of the system. It also contains jokes, which is good.

It is also a good expose of the warped and perfectionist mind of Don Knuth, but that's a separate matter. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Wonderful for Typography 1 & 2 Courses.
Judging from my own experience teaching typography, students appreciate the simple, logical approach to the fundamentals of typography found in James Craig's book 'Designing with Type.' This book deserves praise for enabling students to explore essential knowledge on the subject.

More recently, I've been delighted to find there is a free-entry web site associated with the book that provides students-- and professionals--a world-wide forum and many typographic resources. This site is located at Designingwithtype.com for anyone interested.

Perfect Textbook and Website
I have been teaching Graphic Design for many years and have found that Designing with Type is the perfect textbook. Now with the addition of the website...and its numerous links to design projects from schools around the world, as well as suggestions for books, magazines, organizations, and other web sites, it is a truly unique and invaluable tool for both teachers and students.

New Web Site Too
I have used this book both as a student and now as an instructor of typography and find it to be one of the most valuable resources on the subject. There is also a free new web site that supplements the book. I have found that students benefit greatly from using the book along with the website. I would strongly recommend checking out: ...

Great book
I use this book in a fundamentals class. It has solid exercises and simple, comprehensive info on typography.

Great for beginners, but look elsewhere.
As a graphic design student, I've read numerous books about typography. This book is excellent for a person who's interested in knowing the basics of type and more. However, there is better books out there than this. I recommend the book "A Typographic Workbook" by Kate Clair. Designing with Type really shouldnt be used as a textbook simply because it doesnt cover nearly as much information. If you don't mind spending the extra ... look elsewhere! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

good book, cool ideas for typography
good book, cool ideas for typography,
best for students taking type class.

Great resource for typography inspiration
Ideas are hard to come by, as most designers know. This book is one in a very long series of 'Typography' books and is one of the best so far. It's packed full of new type styles and innovative type concepts. This is one for the coffe table and the library.

the definitive type annual
This year's typography annual is abolutely essential for anyone who is a typographer, a designer who works with type, or anyone who is a fan of this creative medium. This year's annual is extremely well produced and the design of the book itself is fabulous. The design is much better than the futuristic cover that Attik did last year - a good move on behalf of the Type Director's Club. Both annuals are excellent, but this one won't look nearly as dated in 10 years. There are a few pieces showcased this year that make you wonder how they made it, but its a minor complaint when you consider the overall quality of work featured here. With type professionals such as Matthew Carter and Robert Bringhurst as judges, you know you are going to have a great book. This is a must own. ... Can't wait for next year's offering! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Indispensable
This book, which is a close cousin of Heller's and Fili's Deco/Modern series ("Deco Type", "French Modern", "Deco Espana", etc.), is not just a book of fonts. It has plenty of those, and in complete form, so you can use them, but the emphasis is on excellent graphic design and how distinctive, intelligently-used fonts feature in it. This is made vivid with lots of illustration (much of it in color) and lots of text, which is informative, insightful, and very analytical. This is an essential reference and educational tool: students should consider it a small investment, and I can't imagine a professional designer being without it around the office.

The emphasis is rightly placed on early to mid-twentieth century design, but the book is fairly comprehensive, with enough of the Victorian Era and the Digital Age to justify its subtitle.

The book itself is a nicely-bound softcover with thick pages and good, clear reproduction.

Excellent resource book
As a grad student in Graphic Design, one assignment was to explore typography at a higher level than from my undergraduate studies. This book is a treasure find and definitely worth the money. The book not only provides concise information about how type has transformed our world, but the colour examples are brilliant. From Pre-modern Victorian England, throughout Europe and the United States, the reader is taken on a delightful journey of experimentation in an often misunderstood or under appreciated topic. Till the last page ending in late Modern I was capivated. The authors did a very good job in balancing facts with inspiring illustrations. The only warning is that there is a great possibility that nothing else will get accomplished if you purchase this book. I couldn't put it down!

What a Great Type Book!
Heller and Fili have done it again. If you love type, and want to get an eclectic overview of the development of typography in the twentieth century you will enjoy this book. . It's also a perfect companion to read with Heller's Graphic Style book. I use the pair as textbooks in the History of Graphic Design class I teach at Parsons School of Design in NYC.

Who said a book about type is boring?
I loved this book so much when I bummed it off a friend that I actually decided to buy it! After reading it, you'll never look at type without wondering what cultural and economic influences helped shape it. You'll also get a kick out of seeing how different countries treated type in the same art period. I get bored easily by too many dry sentences, so I geniunely appreciated all the examples of catalogs, posters, etc. the authors put in there. Hardback books can be a killer on the legs if you want to curl up with a good book, so the soft bound cover was a blessing. Anyway, enjoy! ... Read more