Typographic Design: Form and Communication (Paperback)

by Rob Carter (Author), Ben Day (Author), Philip B. Meggs (Author) "Typography is an intensely visual form of communication..." (more)
Key Phrases: beautiful typography, electronic page design, counterform relationships, Paul Carlos, Matthew Carter, Hancock Park (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product 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.

From the Back Cover
This new edition of the premier reference on typographic design provides a comprehensive overview of every aspect of designing with type, from the basic terms and classifications to contemporary digital typesetting technology.

Fully revised and updated to reflect new techno-logical developments and emerging design trends, Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Third Edition offers detailed coverage of such essential topics as the anatomy of letters and type families, visual communications and design esthetics, and designing for legibility. More than 600 full-color, halftone, and line images clarify typographic fundamentals and convey a keen understanding of designing with type.

Theoretical and structural problem-solving approaches by leading design educators from across the United States reveal underlying concepts about typographic form and message. There are four pictorial timelines showing the evolution of typography and writing within the context of world events–from the origins of writing more than 5,000 years ago to contemporary website and electronic page design.

Important new features in this new edition include:

• 80 full-color pages that address the use of color in typographic design
• New case studies on specific typographic design problems for website, CD-ROM, and environmental graphics
• New example projects assigned by prominent design educators
• An emphasis on innovations in digital type technology
• New typeface specimens that present outstanding digital fonts
• New information on legibility and the Internet

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 3rd edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471383414
• ISBN-13: 978-0471383413
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #332,571 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, July 4, 2004

By	"artemis-raven" (Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fair primer, July 4, 2007

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Typographic Design: Form and Communication, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I imagine this book working well as a text for an introductory course on typography. Part of that impression comes from the clear need for an instructor to tie the material together and bring it to life with practical exercises.

The format addresses an audience that reasons in visual terms. Each two page spread, sometimes each page presents a complete thought. Illustration demonstrates each of the points made. The first section presents a history in sound-bites, highlighting the history of print and placing it in historical context. Next, about fifteen pages establish the anatomy of a character and typeface, and the words that describe it. Successive chapters describe basic visual hierarchy and composition, page formatting and legibility, technology as of 1993, and samples from typographic curricula at colleges around the US. The last and larger half of the book presents case studies in a few pages each, then nearly 100 pages of type specimens. Each specimen appears in enlarged form, making important details easily visible. Next, the specimen appears in several examples of body text, giving the font's real reading experience at several point sizes and spacings.

This book does a fair job with the basics, and educators may find ideas that will help their own classrooms. Experienced typographers, even students taking their second course, will bottom out quickly. Your experience of this book will depend on how you use it. A good instructor could find it a helpful adjunct, but self-taught students won't get the direction they look for.

-- wiredweird

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent typographic resource, July 13, 2008

By	Creative Sponge (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

I had the privilege to have Phil Meggs for Type I in which we used this book. This book in conjunction with his instruction provided me with an invaluable foundation in the understanding of type and it's use as a communication tool. It's a must in any graphic designers library.