How to Boss Your Fonts Around (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Robin Williams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201696401 | ISBN-13: 978-0201696400 | Publication Date: June 1, 1998 | Edition: 2

Fonts. They seem to have a life of their own. And they can cause no end of heartache to the harried desktop or webtop publisher. Perfectly lovely documents on screen can suddenly transmogrify into a perfect nightmare when printed. So how can you control these willful beasts? Get a copy of this book and end your power struggle with fonts forever.

How To Boss Your Fonts Around has been completely revised and updated for the Second Edition. It's a must-have primer on font technology and font management for anyone who works on a Macintosh. It's updated for Mac OS 8, and includes all new coverage of how to work with and manage fonts for the Web. You'll learn to identify and work with all the different kinds of fonts available, from PostScript to TrueType to Type 1, bitmapped to screen, outline to printer, resident to downloadable and more. There's coverage of Adobe Type Manager, ATM Deluxe, Suitcase, Master Juggler, Font Reserve, new font management tools and utilities, installing fonts, and solving font conflicts. A detailed reference section answers common questions and problems, tells you how to acquire fonts, and offers an amazingly detailed glossary. This is the essential troubleshooting guide to taking control of fonts and learning to use them efficiently and effectively.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fonts can make or break a layout, and good designers know it. Knowing what a bitmapped font is might not seem like a big deal...until you go to print it. The author, Robin Williams, explains how a font that is bitmapped will have very different results on a printer than one that is not. How to Boss Your Fonts Around will also show you the merits of investing your time in organizing your fonts through a font manager.

In a day when there are now "Beat Generation" fonts for the Mac, good font use and management is essential. Williams, Mac expert and the author of bestsellers such as The Non-Designer's Design Book and The Little Mac Book, goes into great detail on the origin and creation of great fonts. Did you ever wonder why so many fonts are named after big cities (such as New York and Geneva)? Turns out, they're all in the same font family, and knowing the characteristics of that grouping will enhance how you use them. Williams provides a full glossary of terms, and the book is rich with visual examples. She treats fonts as the tools they are, showing the reader all the necessary care and maintenance to allow for great design and for the text to shine through. --Jennifer Buckendorff

From Library Journal

Williams teaches electronic typography and has written some excellent books on digital design (e.g., The Non-Designer's Design Book, Peachpit, 1994). Anyone who has misplaced a font they just downloaded from a web site or who has witnessed the horrific use of type on many personal web sites knows how badly these books are needed. Clear explanations and good illustrations are the hallmarks of both volumes. There is little overlap, since one deals with managing the electronic fonts and the other with the uses of type. These gems are recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 2 edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201696401
• ISBN-13: 978-0201696400
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,948,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robin Williams is the author of dozens of best-selling and award-winning books, including Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, The Little Mac Book, The Non-Designer's Design Book, Robin Williams Design Workshop, and Web Design Workshop. Through her writing, teaching, and seminars, Robin has influenced a generation of computer users in the areas of design, typography, desktop publishing, the Mac, and the World Wide Web.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mac-Oriented Book, September 2, 2001

By 

David Anderson (Southern Indiana) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Boss Your Fonts Around (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Although the Amazon editorial review calls Williams a Mac expert, it doesn't make clear that this book is pretty exclusively Mac-oriented. Some of it will be useful to Windows users, but there are surely other, similar font books on the market more useful for Windows users. If I had realized this before I started making notes in the margins, I would have returned it.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent design and crash avoidance techniques, June 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Boss Your Fonts Around: A Primer on Font Technology and Font Management on the Macintosh (Paperback)

"He who dies with the most fonts wins," is a fact of life for a lot of desktop designers for print and the web. However, having tons of fonts of every weight, format and variety gobbles up lots of system memory, and corrupted or conflicting fonts cause crashes. This book tells all on how to get your collection under control, and keep your fonts organized, in good shape, and zipped in place for when you need them. This book is also well written, and will keep you alert and interested, which is most refreshing because I've found many how-to design/computer management books must be read with toothpicks propping up your eyes. It's also just the right length, concise and everything is clearly, not condecendingly, explained. It's a must read for any Mac designer, from the newest newbie to the most advanced.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you wanted to know about fonts..., June 14, 2001

By 

"graphicartist" (Carmel, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Boss Your Fonts Around (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

As a typesetter in a large corporation I found this book very helpful when I recently had to organize our fonts on 12 computers. It clearly explains the difference in the various types of fonts and how to use them properly. It also covers in detail all the different type management software (ATM, Suitcase, etc.). After speaking with several designers, it appears that fonts can be the single biggest nightmare and this book would be an asset to any designers library.