The Elements of Typographic Style
by Robert Bringhurst
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 269)
Read in August, 2008
I am in the process of transforming myself into a book. In order to do that, I am having my spine surgically removed and removed and replaced with a smyth sewn binding. My skin is being stripped off in large patches and replaced with 12 pt cardstock with a four color cover and scuffless matte film lamination. I have hired a designer to come up with a treatment for my textual body. I can't take it anymore. Someone please take me off of the shelf and put me in your lap. I know it doesn't really ma...more
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Read in September, 2000
recommends it for:
everyone!
One of my top ten books of all time, and that's a lot coming from a reader with a major bias against non-fiction. I can't be 100% sure that my rating would apply for everyone, since even the most dry text will interest me 2x as much as normal if it's about type, but I think Bringhurst's commanding yet poetic voice (he's actually also a professional poet, besides being a type guru) could make typography fascinating for anyone. And for people who actually need to learn about type (hello, anyone wh...more
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Not for everyone, this book tackles typography in a non-web way -- in other words, we tend to think of 'fonts' as those things we use in a document that appears online or on the screen to be printed. Bringhurst rips us completely out of that world and returns us to the historical and present use of fonts in terms of design and style, from their components through kerning to page composition. If you care, this is the book.
Postscript: If you've ever wondered what a character was called, this i...more
Postscript: If you've ever wondered what a character was called, this i...more
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Should be required reading for anyone who even thinks about working with type. Applying the principles that Bringhurst clearly and eloquently articulates is what makes the difference between typing and typesetting. If you're a designer that cares about your body of work and you haven't read Elements, stop reading this and go buy it right now. If you're not a designer or type fanatic, it's probably entirely uninteresting.
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Read in October, 2006
recommends it for:
Poets, designers, anyone playing with type
The best book on typography I've seen. The chapters are organized so you don't have to read the whole thing at once, you can pick and choose what you need to know. And it's a beautiful book. I remember it starts out with a really lovely quote, but I lent the book out so it's not around for me to repeat to you. If you are planning on doing any typography, this book is a must.
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Read in September, 2004
recommends it for:
people who read a lot
unique book- basic overview to history and theory of typesetting written by a professional book. Enjoyed it for the wealth of specialized, arcane information, and more generally for openings to a new analytic appreciation of typesetting, and the subconscious effect of font and type arrangement
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A great book, but not one to sit down and browse. it is the most heavy, mathematical, analytical exploration of typography that i've ever read. i can't even pretend to understand a lot of it, but it's fascinating to see how much thought really goes into each letterform that ends up on a page.
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Read in April, 2008
An erudite manual on typesetting and typography. An excellent book for the budding (and serious) type/font student. I'm not sure I'm one of those, but I think I now at least have a greater appreciation for typographical conventions and a well-designed font set.
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Designers
I'm such a nerd, but if anyone out there is looking to improve their typographic skills, then you must own this book. It goes into such detail. After reading the first few chapters, I came away with such a firm understanding of type layout.
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Read in January, 2001
recommends it for:
Every Designer
Everything a designer needs to know about type, this is THE guide for typography. It isn't for the amateur looking for a bit of light typographic reading. It is for the young pro or the student looking to refine already developed skills.
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Read in August, 2007
I keep trying to find time to get further into this book. It completely explains so many things about typography...it's a fabulous textbook for students. I first saw it on the home shelf of a graphic designer I know. But now it is mine.
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Graphic Designers + Typographers
My boss lent me this book and she called it her "bible", now I see why. It's full of all those typographic rules you always wished were in one place. It's written and designed by a poet, which makes it for an interesting read.
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Good if you ever do layout (even in powerpoint), and what discussion isn't relevant to your work is still fairly interesting and fun to read. A good jumping-off point, I imagine, if you are actually interested in typography.
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recommended to Tedb0t by:
Veer, actually... lame!
recommends it for: type dorks and design geeks
recommends it for: type dorks and design geeks
I LOVE this book. Not only is it a wonderfully authoritative overview of good type, but it's downright poetic, too. A must-have for any typographer, graphic designer, or anyone who cares what their words look like.
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Read in August, 2007
This may sound strange, but I would recommend this to someone even if they weren't a designer or someone working in the graphic arts. Gracefully expressed and full of good things. I read it like a novel.
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
people who will be setting type
Pretty textbook-y and dry. A set of rules for setting text so it looks good, and is easily readable. Annoyingly, the author doesn't typically explain the specific reasons for *why* the 'rules' work.
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
lovers of letters, setters of books
herman zapf (palatino, optima) called this book the typographers bible. both a great introduction to the topic and an in depth look at the practice of typography from a man who truly loves letters.
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Read in September, 2006
Un libro super completo sobre todo lo relacionado al mundo y arte de la tipografía.
Un libro imprescindible en la coleccón de cualquiera que se interesa por el mundo del diseño.
Un libro imprescindible en la coleccón de cualquiera que se interesa por el mundo del diseño.
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Read in January, 2006
excellent! pretty amazing and intense book about typography and the sort of science that is behind it. beautifully laid out too! i know...i'm a dork about these kinds of things!
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Read in January, 2001
Who would have ever guessed that a book on typography would be so wonderful. If you have absolutely any interest in this subject, any at all, you should give this book a read.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.61 (269 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.60 (250 ratings) number of reviews: 48popular shelves
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quote
"In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where designer, compositor and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes they rise and dance in the margins and aisles."
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