Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-my-type-book-about-fonts.html
Just My Type - A Book About Fonts - is a book exploring the history of of type and their impact on our world. Rather than being a historical tome, it is a collection of interesting tales of different individuals and companies and how a font came to be or how it impacted our lives. Admittedly, it is not a topic many people think about. However, if you enjoy language and history, you will find this a fascinating read.
Driving around, reading, watching TV, reading product labels, opening packages - have you ever noticed that we are constantly surrounded by the printed word? Do you think about how those letters and words come across? What happens if words we are used to seeing a certain way suddenly appear differently? Did you know that behind each typeface and font is an individual or a set of individuals - designers and artists - who determine how every letter looks, how much space it takes up, and how much space goes in between each letter? This book addresses these questions and many more through specific stories.
You can read this book cover to cover, or you can flip through the different chapters. Some of the different stories about fonts can stand alone. The bulk of this book is typeset in Sabon Lt Std 11/15 pt. The story of this font itself is found within the book. In addition, examples of different fonts and what they look like abound throughout the book making it fun to browse through even without reading it.
If you are a "typophile" or a studier of modern culture and design or if you have wondered why words look the way they do, this book will provide interesting reading.
Just My Type - A Book About Fonts - is a book exploring the history of of type and their impact on our world. Rather than being a historical tome, it is a collection of interesting tales of different individuals and companies and how a font came to be or how it impacted our lives. Admittedly, it is not a topic many people think about. However, if you enjoy language and history, you will find this a fascinating read.
Driving around, reading, watching TV, reading product labels, opening packages - have you ever noticed that we are constantly surrounded by the printed word? Do you think about how those letters and words come across? What happens if words we are used to seeing a certain way suddenly appear differently? Did you know that behind each typeface and font is an individual or a set of individuals - designers and artists - who determine how every letter looks, how much space it takes up, and how much space goes in between each letter? This book addresses these questions and many more through specific stories.
You can read this book cover to cover, or you can flip through the different chapters. Some of the different stories about fonts can stand alone. The bulk of this book is typeset in Sabon Lt Std 11/15 pt. The story of this font itself is found within the book. In addition, examples of different fonts and what they look like abound throughout the book making it fun to browse through even without reading it.
If you are a "typophile" or a studier of modern culture and design or if you have wondered why words look the way they do, this book will provide interesting reading.
I may not be the girl who notices the small details or differences in ads or commercials, but I do love how the subtle differences in font can change the way something reads. As a bona-fide reader, I can definitely feel a difference between a more manly font compared to a more feminine font. From the history of fonts and typography to where a few fonts were specifically created, this book took a humorous and educational approach to teaching the reader what makes a font a font.
At times there was a little too much education for me, but I think even your average reader would love to learn about how the art of typography has evolved, even from the production side. How the computer has completely changed how accessible fonts are? And to the job of a font designer - where is the money?
A book that I am passing onto my sister a graphic designer, craft guru, but also one that I would pass onto my fellow reader. Why is one drawn to a certain font? How does Microsoft dictate what font is default? I think this book answers many questions that the typical reader may have thought from time to time.
At times there was a little too much education for me, but I think even your average reader would love to learn about how the art of typography has evolved, even from the production side. How the computer has completely changed how accessible fonts are? And to the job of a font designer - where is the money?
A book that I am passing onto my sister a graphic designer, craft guru, but also one that I would pass onto my fellow reader. Why is one drawn to a certain font? How does Microsoft dictate what font is default? I think this book answers many questions that the typical reader may have thought from time to time.
