3 books that have changed my type journey
Typography is a skill that has similarly relates to taste. Think about trying new foods, it’s full of flavor that you have not been acquainted with, however, you would have never experienced the vibrancy of it without taking a but of a trust fall into it. To expand your palette it requires bravery and the expectation that you won’t like everything you try- same with typography.
Typography applications, font usage, and typeface experimentation are all things that allow you to experiment and grow, which is why I wanted to share with you the 3 books that have helped mold and shape my type journey!
Typography sketchbooks
by: Steven Heller and Lita Talarico
Who doesn’t want to sneak a peek into the intimate sketchbooks of over 90 of the world’s leading designers and typographers? If you answered, “not me” then you’re a liar. If you aren’t lying then let me tell you why you should want to take a gander! Typography is its own language, yes that is the most literal truth of all time because it is the means at which you can physically see language but there is so much to be said in every typeface that has been born. If I told you to punch “Western typefaces” into Google, how come you can already envision in your head what would pop up without even pulling up the search bar? It’s because type has feeling, depth, and language that all relies on its visual attributes given to it by its creator!
Heller and Talarigo delve into the creatives mind by introducing the designers behind typefaces we know and love and some that we should acquaint ourselves with! This book introduces you to the playfulness behind creating and unlocks the nervousness that holds anyone back from wholeheartedly letting go and exploring the blank page of a sketchbook.
2.
Hand job: A catalog of type
by: Michael Perry
Now before you freak out on me, you’re probably wondering why I would suggest a book titled Hand Job, right? Well imagine how incredibly awkward I felt ordering it off my Dad’s Amazon account. “No really Dad, I promise it’s for school…”
This book is absolutely incredible, beautiful, well designed, and printed. Seriously, it’s all the things! Each spread you want to spend an hour submerged in to take in every detail. This is a really good collection of works for when you are stuck in a rut and need some outside expertise on how to think outside the box. Specializing in hand type, Perry does a beautiful job showcasing the range of mediums you can use to create a new typeface (ie: reduction, watercolor, ink, brush, graphite, the list is kind of endless).
When I feel trapped, I love pulling this book off the shelf to loosen up a bit and remind myself that type isn’t linear even though it may be printed that way (see what I did there?). Perry also does a great job in showing the relationships between type and color, two individual elements that when used correctly can breathe life into a design.
3.
Modern Dog
by: Mike Strassburger and Robynne Raye
Also purchased for school but less risky, Modern Dog focuses on type treatments including layout design, font pairing, and placement exploration. What is so fun about this visual page turner is the amount of rules that are followed when designing the posters, and that amount is in fact z-e-r-o. When I need a fresh layout design or new ways to play with type, this is a book that allows me to explore the route other designer took to achieve an engaging look that draws people closer.
Similar to the other two publications above, Burger and Raye’s book is a wonderful example of inventive ways to use type and color to further convey the written words on the poster itself. One thing that is shied away from when pairing typefaces together is sometimes the lack of character, there are so many examples where two bold choices are paired together and it works.
From an artistic standpoint, the imagery used in this book is just as engaging and exploratory. For example there are slab serifs paired with an eye catching illustration, spray painted words paired with monochromatic photography, handwritten type to spice up a line drawing completed with pencil. This book is big on breaking the rules used to confine designers and it encourages me to try new things when it comes to type and to just have fun with it!
The more you explore the more you grow and these are some of the books that have had the biggest impact on my typography journey. I have them linked below so you can add them to your own library and get inspired whenever you feel your creative juices wanning! Handwritten type has definitely evolved from what it was in the early 2000’s but there are definitely more ways to apply it to design today than there ever was.
All books can be found on Amazon:
