The Elements of Typographic Style

by Robert Bringhurst
The Elements of Typographic Style  
published October 9th 2004 by Hartley and Marks Publishers
binding Paperback
isbn 0881792063   (isbn13: 9780881792065)
pages 352
description This lovely, well-written book is concerned foremost with creating beautiful typography and is essential for professionals who regularly work with typ...more
date added
01-31-07



Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.







discuss this book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

groups with this book

edit-usp




friend reviews (0)

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.



lists with this book




other reviews (showing 1-20 of 269)



Jacob
Jacob added it
08/27/08

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
Like this review?   yes   (5 people liked it)
  5 comments

Leslie
Leslie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
07/03/07

bookshelves: favorites
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
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Dennis
Dennis rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/20/08

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
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

5000!
5000! rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/06/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

amira
amira rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
05/28/08

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Liam
Liam rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
08/23/07

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
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Grabaa
Grabaa rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
05/09/08

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Steve
Steve rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/12/08

bookshelves: design
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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Jasmine
Jasmine rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/22/08

bookshelves: design
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.
Like this review?   yes  
  1 comments

Mike
Mike rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
10/22/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Jamie
Jamie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/02/07

bookshelves: currently-reading
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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Sarah
08/07/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Ani
Ani added it
03/23/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Tedb0t
Tedb0t rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/23/08

bookshelves: design
recommended to Tedb0t by: Veer, actually... lame!
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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

peter
08/27/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Carol
Carol rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
02/23/07

bookshelves: currently-reading
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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Katie
Katie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/11/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Xavier
Xavier rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/02/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Sarah
Sarah rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/27/07

bookshelves: artbooks
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!
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment

Shawn
Shawn rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/20/07

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.
Like this review?   yes  
  add a comment


« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 13 14





book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.61 (269 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.60 (250 ratings)
number of reviews: 48






other editions

The Elements of Typographic Style (Paperback)
The elements of typographic style (Hardcover)
The Elements of Typographic Style (Hardcover)









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." more quotes »