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American Type Design and Designers Paperback – January 1, 2004
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The most comprehensive book ever compiled about American type and
its designers
Provides a history of nine American type foundaries and a timeline of type-related events from 1600 to 2001
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAllworth Pr
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 2004
- Dimensions9 x 0.75 x 11 inches
- ISBN-101581153201
- ISBN-13978-1581153200
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
David Consuegra interposes his opinion of good type design where it is appropriate. The experience Consuegra brings to this book is evident, and confirms accuracy in the text. He has chosen to highlight the development of type and the relationships between typefaces, including limited descriptions of specific usage. The biographies themselves are set in one of the typographer's typefaces and many logotype and design uses are exemplified.
A brief history of the letterform is given in the introduction to help the reader understand the development of type. I would still recommend reading Phillip Meggs' A History in Graphic Design, referenced in Consuegra's book, for further historical background. Though, Consuegra's extensive timeline is both enlightening and necessary. I would also recommend that a colorful, more visual approach to the timeline be designed to best communicate it's content.
Alphabetizing the typographers is a fantastic solution, supported by an alphabetical glossary of typefaces. The index and early page references are mismatched on occasion. However, the book is so clearly laid out, that an intelligent reader could locate their reference point. This is in part due to the extensive nature of the material, which though broad, still excludes a few typographers. However, I can recall no such comprehensive book centered on typographers that is an easy to access tool for designers needing to sharpen their typographical skills.
This book includes an extensive bibliography, citing any reference a designer will need. I also appreciate that Consuegra respects the intelligence of his audience, satisfying any insatiable curiosity. He provides a well researched history of type design in America.
--- Jennifer Idol
Newsletter Chair, Austin Chapter
AIGA, American Institute of Graphic Arts
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Allworth Pr (January 1, 2004)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1581153201
- ISBN-13 : 978-1581153200
- Item Weight : 1.76 pounds
- Dimensions : 9 x 0.75 x 11 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,597,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,106 in Typography (Books)
- #4,367 in History of Technology
- #8,500 in Computer Graphics & Design
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To explain, let me provide a summary TOC. Note that the standard format for text is 3 columns of densely packed text. If printed in a standard format with 1 column and a larger font, the book size would likely double in size:
1. Preface -- which explains the motivation and difficulties in the project.
2. Introduction -- 6 pages. A history of American typography.
3. Chronology of Type related events -- 33 pages of calendarized information from 1600 to 2000 -- designers, foundries, etc.
4. Comparative American/European Type Chronology -- 4 pages detailing the creation/usage of fonts on both continents by year.
5. Type Designs in Alphabetical Order -- 2 pages listing all fonts in the book in alpha order (located under their designer).
6. 218 pages of designer biographies with significant typefaces, comment, and examples of use.
7. 8 pages of American type foundry history by company.
8. Glossary of Typographical Terms, 30 pages.
9. Bibliography
10. Index -- 17 pages -- 4 column.
When one considers history of typography, the American impact doesn't immediately come to mind. The history of sources for typography extend millenia earlier than the Western presence in the Americas. And, in the 20th century, the Jugendstihl and Bauhaus creation of a simpler typeface of sans serif and use of type in design stand as monumental events more recently.
Americans, more pragmatic, didn't have the overhang of reading German blackletter at every opportunity. We had a simpler style -- actually styles which changed by technology. As Consuegra identifies, the end of the 19th century saw a regularization of fonts into font families and standard sizes which also made printing more cost effective.
The mid 30's saw many emigrees land here in the states, top designers who continued to innovate on this soil.
The desktop printing industry further beginning in the 1980s at Adobe and Apple further transformed the creation and distribution of type.
So, many of the fonts and designers in the book will be familiar, from their revivals of older fonts as well as new creations. Bernhard Fashion, Bodoni, Broadway, Brush, Cartoon, Adobe Caslon, Century Schoolbook, Cheltenham, Apple Chicago, Cooper, Davida, Franklin Gothic, Adobe Garamond, Apple Geneva, Goudy Old Style, FB Grotesque, Hobo, Janson, ITC Korinna, Lithos, Lucida, Lydian, New GOthic, Park Avenue, Souvenir, Stencil, ITC Tiffany, Trajan, and HTF Ziggurat are just a handful of the types appearing in the book.
You won't find Times New Roman, or Arial here...
What intrigues is the biography and larger historical setting of individual designers. These illuminate the personal design interests as well as the technical challenges posed with their state of the art.
Of particular interest is the use of specific fonts in documents of the time -- advertisements, posters and the like. Some notable type designers were designers in a larger sense -- material presented echoes and sometimes symbolizes its time.
A few quibbles. There may be some factual errors -- I noted one regarding the Apple II being the platform for the first desktop publishing -- actually it was the Macintosh. The author's style can, on occasion, be a tad opaque.
I don't know that someone will find a "fix" for a specific project in reading the book. But, as I select type and design with it, I understand better how I can do that well.
This is an engaging, distinctive work born from the author's heart without anything comparable on the market that I'm aware of. It is a work to enjoy, admire and learn from.
