Type and Typography [Paperback]

Phil Baines (Author), Andrew Haslam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0823055280 | ISBN-13: 978-0823055289 | Edition: 2

• Includes 2 extensive timecharts, one on type designers, one on the evolution of writing and printing—reference at a glance


• Newly revised and expanded


• Hundreds of remarkable photographs
and illustrations


From the history of language and writing systems, to the development of letterforms and movable type, to the evolution of today’s digital systems, Type and Typography offers an overview of the typefaces available today and a practical guide to using type as a meaningful element of design in all mediums. Newly expanded with fifty additional pages of text and eighty-five new illustrations, this second edition reflects the exciting developments in typography since the first edition was published in 2002.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Phil Baines is a freelance designer and a Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London. Phil Baines lives in London.


Andrew Haslam runs his own design studio and is the leader of the MA Communication Design course at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London. Andrew Haslam lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; 2 edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823055280
• ISBN-13: 978-0823055289
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.7 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Visual Collection of Typography., August 25, 2004

By 

B. MOOGK "Benjamin Moogk" (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Type and Typography (Paperback)

This is really one firm's style book and their personal encyclopedia of typographical knowledge. The advice on style is quirky. The guide to accessing hidden glyphs on your keboard is full of errors. The mark-up guide is not in agreement with the standard Chicago method. Their collection of objects and typographic samples are of great historical interest and the illustrations will illuminate many typographical points.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Early History to Designing for the Web, March 6, 2006

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Type and Typography (Paperback)

Type is the way we convey written information. Down through the centuries type faces have been developed to not only convey the raw information, but to do so in attractive and pleasing ways. Type faces continue to be developed for all kinds of uses that the designers of years ago couldn't have imagined: the dot matrix print outs of a cash register, the type face you are seeing right now as you read this on a computer screen.

This book presents an overview of type and typography fron the earliest greek alphabets (showing how the letters were derived) to modern times. It is not a textbook on how to design type, but more of an idea book illustrating what a lot of people have done in a wide variety of situations. It would be a very helpful read to anyone designing a book, print ads, or web pages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good buy if you want to learn the history & principles of typography, February 10, 2011

By 

AlterNeo "alterneo" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Type and Typography (Paperback)

This book was required reading by a graphic design instructor, one of the few that were recommended that proved very useful. If you view all text/type as the same and don't know the difference between serif and san serif, have no idea what a cap height, ascender or decender is, but you have to use type to design...this is the book for you. The book explains information logically and in depth it also presents a good introductory to working with a grid in your designs. This book is a good buy to learn the fundamentals of design. I highly recommend.