Book Description

Created especially for non-designers, DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR DESKTOP PUBLISHING provides easy-to-understand explanations of design principles as well as real examples of those principles in use. Through its unique combination of the didactic and the practical, this text helps desktop publishers make smart design choices and implement them using the tools available in popular software packages.Packed with illustrative examples, the book includes numerous classroom exercises for hands-on experimentation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

If you only buy one book on desktop publishing, this is it.
Don't judge THIS book by its cover. The cover designer managed to violate several of the carefully-explained rules author Lichty elaborates in this lucid text. The discussions of fonts, typography and page layout are clear to beginners and professionals alike, and written and illustrated with considerable wit. Profusely illustrated with both good and bad examples, this slim text ends each chapter with a bibliography to help the reader who needs more detailed information. Minor quibbles: the author's use of high-end Aldus Pagemaker and Quark XPress for exercises slights the users of lower-priced desktop publishing software; some examples using Microsoft Publisher would be welcome. And the author inexplicably omits all of Edward Tufte's seminal books on visual communications from his bibliographies. But if you can only buy one book on desktop publishing, this is the one to have. ... Read more

Book Description

When Transforming Words Into Print Becomes a Passion

Color'em, distort'em, move'em: changing fonts on a computer screen is almost as easy and fun as playing with a set of rubber stamps. And yet, creating and choosing type is an art that not only requires artistic skills, but a deep understanding of the many ways type is rooted in the communication patterns of our times. In "Texts on Type: Critical Writings on Typography," acclaimed design authors Steven Heller and Philip B. Meggs open a window into the secret universe of present and past typography.

"Texts on Type" is an unprecedented opportunity to discover some of the most brilliant and sparkling minds of 20th century type design and typography. In fifty thought-provoking essays, readers encounter the evangelists and critics of a craft whose aesthetic frontiers have always been negotiated with unsurpassed fervor, from W.A. Dwiggins, Herman Zapf, and Paul Rand to the front-runners of contemporary typography. Practitioners of type and typophiles will perceive this craft with new eyes as they learn about the groundbreaking technological, aesthetic, and cultural changes that have propelled typography from a rarified, secluded craft into a dynamic activity practiced by millions.

The fifty essays cover topics such as

* Principals of designing and choosing the right typeface
* The Modernism versus Tradition debate
* The relationship between type form and expression
* The anatomy of typefaces across the 20th century
* Aesthetical reflections from classics to electronic and dynamic typography ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Heller Is Prolific
Steven Heller puts the "Good Graphics Seal of Approval" on any graphic design book, in my opinion. The essays in "Texts on Type: Critical Writings on Typography" is no exception. Together with Philip B. Meggs, Heller pulls together over fifty essays on the history, aesthetics and practice of type design and typography. You'll find essays in this anthology penned by the likes of Goudy, Zapf, Rand, Ogilvy, and other huge names in the arena of graphic design. This is just another Heller book to have to back up the rest of your everyday knowledge. After all, if you know more than the next guy, you'll get the job. My only complaint is that - for such an excellent book on typography - the typeface in the body copy is smaller than the norm. If you're over 40, pull out the reading glasses. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Decent book, but I've seen better
Very, very disappointed. That's how I felt after falling for the hype...and buying this book, and its companion, "Type in Use". I already own a copy of Robin William's "Non-Designer's Type Book", and that book covers the exact same material in much better detail. "Type Rules!" has a few decent examples, but not enough to justify buying yet another book that covers the exact same topic.

If you're looking for a good book on the foundations of typography, check out Robin Williams "The Non-Designers Type Book", instead. Except for Robin's annoying attitude (easily remedied with a black felt-tipped pen), that book is easier to read, far more helpful, and includes lots more relevant information for the desktop publisher...

If you're a designer, and looking for a good book on typography, swallow your pride and buy Robin's book. You won't be disappointed (keep the felt pen handy).

concise content coverage, love the binding
I am currently employed as a typesetter and ordered this wondering if I needed another type book. But I was pleased with my purchase because while it has only 160 pages, it covers type from the origins of writing to customizing and designing your own fonts.

It has well chosen illustrations and covers some of the intricacies of setting type on the computer. I think it would make a good textbook for a college course in typesetting. I plan to use some of the illustrations to clarify things for people I work with who don't know what typesetting is all about.

And something I really appreciate about it is the binding. I have the 2001 hardcover edition (only one available, I think), and when I open the book and set it on a table, it stays open and it lies flat. It has stitched signatures without an excess of glue. (Unfortunately, stitched signatures are not a guarantee a book will stay open. Sometimes the binders glob on the glue after the signatures are stitched.)

A Contemporary Type Teaching Tool
I've been searching high and low for an up-to-date book to teach a graduate Typography course. Phil Meggs, Typographic Form and Function ©1985, is a wonderful tool, but recent students were critical of the "dated" nature of some of the material. "Type Rules!" is a great alternative and/or supplement.

Strizver makes her point clear from the get go - setting type is a craft, not something the computer does for us. Also, type communicates a message all by itself, and many of us are ignorantly communicating the wrong message.

However, the author never gets pompous or overly theoretical. The points she makes are accurate; clearly articulated; ground not only in research, but in a true understanding of type; and are communicated in a contemporary manner.

The "rules" are real-world tools and are applicable for novices as well as professionals. Please note: this book was not created to be a bullet point check off list for administrators and anyone who owns a computer with some fonts to pick from. This is a book for people who work to communicate a message with type, beyond the content of the written word. It's a well written, easy to read book with lots of fabulous examples from many of the men and women who got typography and typographic design where it is today; all very useful examples for teaching. ... Read more

Book Description

Blackletter type, also known as Frakturor German Gothic, originated with Gutenberg's moveable type, and was based onthe contemporary calligraphy of that time. From the sixteenth century on, itshared the spotlight with roman type in German-speaking countries and was evenadopted for the printing of Martin Luther's writings. Yet by the twentiethcentury it was increasingly spurned by both commercial artists, who embracedroman type for its classical associations, and modernist designers, whochampioned sanserif type for its universal and democratic qualities. At theclose of the Second World War, the identification of blackletter with failedNazi ideology was inescapable, thus effectively ending the four-hundred-yeartradition of blackletter as a distinctive national script.

The essays in Blackletter investigate the rise and fall of blackletter type, examining itsuses and cultural significance at various points throughout history, includingthe Reformation, the Weimar Republic, the Nazi regime, and the post-Berlin Wallperiod. This title, illustrated with numerous color examples of blacklettertypefaces and their implementation, is a necessity for anyone interested in thehistory of type. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

High Design
I saw this book featured in the AIGA annual for 1999. It is VERY nicely designed. Also, it was refreshing to read about cultural aspects of typography, instead of the same ol' stuff about leading, tracking, etc. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The most important book a type designer will ever read.
I've read a lot of books on type and this is the only one with a practical guide on how to create your own typefaces. I'm sure more people who read this book aren't going to start making their own metal type but the lessons learned in this book easily translate to the world of creating digital typefaces. After reading this it changed the way I design typefaces, completely. Now, instean of merely moving bezier control points, I imagine myself cutting metal and re-using counterpunches. Sometimes I "oversize" my counters a bit, as if I were hammering them in a bit more. If you're a type designer, or just interested in type, put this one in your shopping cart immediately.

Things only a punchcutter could tell us
This is a wonderful book. To write it, Fred Smeijers looked closely at printed books and type punches in museums. He read contemporary accounts of sixteenth century type making. And, informed by his experience as a digital type designer, he understood the problems the sixteenth century type makers faced and how they solved them. Some of these problems, like readability, economy and visual texture, are still with us.

Most remarkably, he also taught himself to make his own steel type punches - his practical experiments shone new light on the subject and showed the implausibility of some accepted accounts of how things were done.

The book is engagingly written. It's a visual delight too, with text set in the author's 'Renard' type and illustrated with his pencil sketches.

About the cover
Mr Smeijers has crafted a fine book, as all three other reviews have noted. Incisive, insightful, instructive.

Look closely at the cover of this volume. After you've read it, and understand the counterpunch/punch process, you see that the entire story is told on the cover in a bit of brilliant graphic design.

Perfect for students and type designers
I was surprised by Mr. Smeijers ability to speak volumes of relevance about the digital era. As a student interested in typography and type design I was enthralled. I couldn't put it down.

This book is a must read.

A perfect book for students
If you are a student interested in Typography, than you have to read this book. It is not only about punchcutting in its techniques but provides a lot of basic information on the subject type in general. Because of his direct and logic way of writing Fred Smeijers succeeds in explaining you the most complex things you where always confused about before (method of handcasting type, old techniques, the historical connections). He also explains what we can learn from all that for now and the future. It is greatly illustrated, beautifully designed and so lively written that you have to read it like a novel, not able to stop anymore. I hope Fred Smeijers continues writing so interesting books. ... Read more

Book Description

Typotektur takes a look at posters from various countries and periods that share a special feature of typography: the tendency to break out of the two-dimensional space of lettering and establish hybrid links with architecture. Letters, words, and entire sentences form architectural figures that can be read both as pictures and as words. The playful handling of typography has led to an exhilarating wealth of variations in the history of poster art. Starting with contemporary poster design, the widely divergent strands of development in the architectural treatment of lettering are here traced back in time through the 20th century. The fifth book in a series based on the poster collection of the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich.

Essay by Andres Janser.
Foreword by Felix Studinka. ... Read more

Book Description

Teach Yourself(r) Microsoft(r) Publisher 2000 When you need on-the-spot answers - Teach Yourself! Learn quickly with short, clear steps Find the answers you need easily Explore the Web for related topics
* Use Publisher wizards to produce professional-quality business publications in a snap
* Create consistent and polished designs with the Design Checker and Design Sets features
* Convert any publication into an effective Web page
* Share information between Publisher 2000 and other Office programs
* Use the new Pack and Go Wizard to print publications exactly the way you want them ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Deception
It seems that all the microsoft publisher 2000 books do not mention what program they are dealing with other than microsoft publisher 2000 which is not sufficient. It is a pity that a company can't spell out what they don't include and still use what the computer has on its programs. Of all the books on Microsoft Publisher 2000 which I do have, don't mention it isn't any use for microsoft publisher 2000, home publishing. I have sent the book back and wonder if any of the other books listed do the same thing as IDG

Great book
This book was easy to follow and taught me a lot about Publisher. I recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is a good guide for beginners who want to systematically learn the ins and outs of QuarkXPress 4.0 for Windows and Macintosh. The writers introduce you to the interface, explaining documents, palettes, and menu options, and then get you started in creating and modifying documents. You add text and graphics; place items in frames; group, anchor, lock, and link items; navigate documents; and learn how to customize the package. Next you learn about formatting text and working with fonts, kerning, tracking, justification, style sheets, the find function, and the spell checker. You go on to learn about creating shapes with the Bezier tool, adding lines, importing graphics, and using the Text Runaround feature. You also use Clipping Paths and the Merge and Split commands, apply and change color, and learn about printing basics.

The writers then get into more advanced topics, such as creating, editing, and applying Master Pages; working with long documents, lists, and indexes; and publishing databases. Finally, you learn about color separations and get an overview of Web publishing as well as QuarkImmedia, the XTension designed for multimedia authoring. Throughout the book, you get a useful combination of explanatory text and illustrations as well as keyboard shortcuts. If you want to learn what QuarkXPress has to offer and need help learning about the tools at your disposal, check out this book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Good Buy and a Good Reference
I like the way the book is written and what it covers. Not only does it discuss Quark, but the many processes involved in desktop publishing in general.

I know Word & PageMaker very well, but not Quark. As it says on the back cover, this is for beginners and intermediate users and it's helped me many times. It's not a tutorial though, just a good reference.

Basically a reiteration of the manual.
I was shocked and disappointed to find that it's basically regurgitated material from the Quark manual. I've been using Quark for years and was looking for some advanced material covering tips, shortcuts, and ways to push beyond the norm. This book is for BEGINNERS and should be labeled as such.

Covers what it needs to cover.
This book covers the fundamentals and more. It's well written and uses a plethora of examples.

Great for the beginning to mid-level users, it only falls short if you are a power-user, but I don't think power-users read books anyway. If they do, they should skip this one, it's geared to a layman. ... Read more

Book Description

While writing and alphabets go back thousands of years, the history of typography is a long, rich, and unique one-spanning from the movable type used to set Guttenberg's 42-line Bible in 1455 to today's 21st-century computer-designed typefaces.Type and Typography is the definitive guide for every designer who works with type and layout. Carefully structured and brimming with clear examples, it covers every aspect of typography, from a historical introduction to language, writing systems, and alphabets; following with the development of letterforms and moveable type; and finishing with the evolution of the amazing digital systems available today.In addition, you'll discover a valuable "road map" that helps you navigate among the bewildering variety of typefaces available, as well as scores of no-fail techniques for using type as a meaningful element of design and layout in all media. Plus, this comprehensive guide features a complete glossary of terms, two fascinating timelines, and much more. ... Read more

Book Description

Ornate, decorative letters (formed with long tails and flourishes) will add panache and style to ads, posters, signs, menus—almost any print project. Fonts include El Greco, Raffia Initials, Cantini Casual, Mardi Gras Regular, Italian Slab Fancy, dozens more.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

Yikes !
I'm relatively new to the world of graphic design, but I'm quite comfortable with desktop publishing and computer graphics. I found this book to be a mish-mash of ideas and concepts that confused more than educated.I found over 20 terms introduced in one chapter with no follow up definition or description.The author jumps from one subject to another aimlessly; like going from a discussion on papers to handling a client's budget (she calls it the "Budget Ogre")in the same paragraph.Don't waste your time on this book.

Excellent for beginners
This is a somewhat simplistic, but very good book for beginning designers.There are a lot of good samples and the author talks you through the why's and wherefore's.I wish it had more specific information on how to accomplish these designs using more standard software (like Pagemaker).Oh, well, it's still a good book. ... Read more

Book Description

The essential handbook of typeface recognition and selection.

Book Description

Without a clear, balanced layout, even the most interesting informationis likely to be ignored.But balance doesn’t have to mean boring, as cutting-edgedesigners are showing with exciting new deconstructionist looks.

Making and Breaking the Grid is both a practical workshop in traditional layout designand a bold and inspirational guide to breaking the rules. In the first part of the book,designers learn the basics of working with layout grids for all types of projects, includingadvertisements, books, posters, and invitations. Once they’ve mastered that process, thefun begins—and the second part of the book shows how to deconstruct the grid to createedgier, more interesting work.

Bringing the common yet critical element of layout to new levels of innovation, thismuch-needed book gives designers the license and the means to break away fromconvention and create work that is unique and fresh—yet effective and user-friendly.

Timothy Samara is a graphic designer living and working in New York City, where he isa principal of SamaraLee Communication Design. He teaches typography and visualcommunication at the School of Visual Arts, in New York City. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

finally a book show me how to crate and use a grid
i have seen so many books talk about grid,
most of them are too dry, either only have the imagry or just the grid itself,
this is the book would totally show me how is the grid being create, use and how the break it when it comes to layout.
check it out!

Great for inspiring designers
This book is great for young inspiring designers to use as a learning tool and reference book. It shows how to make a grid system work and how to modify different styles of grids to a designers particular needs. The book is less in content and more focusing on showing images of the grid at work. This is a must have book and the price is well worth it.

A first caveat
This is not a full review of the book. It is an initial caveat to purchasers. If you are the sort of graphic designer who is mightily impressed by references to the 'poststructural French philospher Rene Foucault' (reproduced with original spelling from page 117 of the book) then you will find this highly stimulating, and admire the pretty pictures.

If, on the other hand, you find such ignorance laughable, or feel that a half-decent writer (never mind editor) should catch such howlers, then you may have pause for thought. It is a philosophical issue, of course: some believe that graphic design should have such contempt for mere words that they can be ignored, set in Dingbats or otherwise mutilated. Such an opinion is, however, not entirely in accord with many designers referenced in this book. A deliberate contradiction on the part of the author? I don't think so.

So, shoddily edited, but looks nice. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

There's more to type than meets the eye. Just take a surf on the Web. Typeface designers are marketing their fonts on the WorldWide Web, going beyond the limits imposed by print advertising, direct mail marketing or even HTML.

Besides creating outrageous new digital fonts, these typographer are developing new graphic text treatments that don't waste visitors' time with slow downloads for their online catalogs and e-zines. Featuring some of the most imaginative stars on the Web and in the expanding world of type design, experts share their tricks and techniques in this essential sourcebook for creating dazzling typefaces and Websites.

A companion CD-ROM offers royalty-free type, plus links to hundreds of typography related Websites. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A self-indulgent excercise in graphic design.
I'm relieved that I only checked this book out out from the libraray instead of dropping almost $50 to purchase it. While it purports to discuss typography, it's clear even from the table of contents - and certainly from the body of the book - that "Webworks: Typography" is largely an excercise in graphic design. And even the graphic design fails on its most basic level, that of coherance.

The book is made up of several mini-sections, each one devoted to a different web-available foundry. Six examples of each foundry's typefaces are presented in tiny boxes at the bottoms of the pages. The remaining 95% of the space is devoted to overwrought images and mutilated text relating each foundry's approach to typography.

It's barely comprehensible. Think of the worst example of fast MTV video-editing on paper. That's how this book is designed. There is a predilection for web design here, and clearly this is a book was created by and for young people with very little reverance for text. Judging by the samples in the book, many of these foundries are even trying to turn the letters we use for text into flashy monuments of their creativity. Nevermind the actual words, I guess.

I found two nice foundries in the book, not surprisingly both are situated in Europe, where there appears to be a stronger comprehension of the the concept of text legibility.

fascinating
This book is a very visual account of what is on the cutting edge of typography today.Vivid colors and interesting layouts provide readers with a real "feel" for how the typographers use their designs forspecial effects.The authors of this book had a real eye for the trueartists in typography.A great book for people who are interested indesigning their own work or for those just looking for new and interestingcontributors to this unique field.

mostly uninspired faddish typography.
This book is filled with typography design that seems to have evolved with no knowledge of the past histoy of typographic design. Some of the comments made by the designers had some value, but the examples of their work didn'talways match their jargon.The book is boring, uninspiring and I returned mycopy. Save your money. There are better books out there. ... Read more