Typographic Reference

A small book of modest ambition, How Typography Happens is a compilation of the texts of the Sander Lectures given by Ruari McLean at Cambridge University in 1983. McLean is a noted practitioner of the typographic profession and the author of several more significant books on the subject, notably The Thames & Hudson Manual of Typography and Jan Tschichold, Typographer. McLean’s lectures cover separately, the modern typographic evolutions of Britain and America, Germany and France.

Doyald Young, lettering and logo artist, type designer and educator, recently published Fonts & Logos, a rich, engaging and multifaceted book on the letter arts. Drawing on his long career at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., Young's book is both an instructional work of singular achievement and a paean to the western Latin alphabet.

Do you love typography? Have you ever thought about pursuing, or have you even dabbled in, typeface design? Then you might consider going back to school to further your knowledge and expand your career possibilities.

This is an ambitious new book that, while not wholly successful, has done the type community a fine service. The main section gives us brief biographies of 62 type designers, directors of type manufacture, or designers with type, with examples of their work.

The first of its kind, this book addresses the rise in global awareness of Arab cultures and provides a framework for understanding and respect. Extensively illustrated with more than 200 examples of the best in contemporary Arabic typography and graphic design, Arabic for Designers is an authoritative guide for designers unfamiliar with Arabic script.

Albertina was a typeface ahead of its time. It was in the early 1960s when designer Chris Brand, an accomplished calligrapher, aspired to draw a typeface based on the principles of calligraphy. Unfortunately, typesetting machines of that era put many restrictions on designers. Characters had to be drawn within a very coarse grid, which also defined their spacing.

Modern Baskerville fonts are based on the type of John Baskerville, the distinguished eighteenth-century English printer and type founder. His original type was based somewhat on Caslon, but is a more precise design with more contrast in character stroke thickness.

The history of Bembo originates in Venice, an important typographic center in 15th and 16th century Europe. Many printers established businesses in Venice at this time, but none so significant as Aldus Manutius. Next to Gutenberg, Aldus was perhaps the most influential printer of the Renaissance – and the first of many great scholar–printers.

The University of California Old Style, the basis for ITC Berkeley Oldstyle, was one of Frederic Goudy’s favorite designs. In 1937, a friend asked Goudy if he would consider drawing a face for the exclusive use of the University of California Press at Berkeley.