The elements of typographic style
by Robert Bringhurst
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 517)
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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This book is the bible of typography, but like so many bibles, sometimes you read a part and have to ask "is this reasonable, or is this the author being a pretentious boob?" I suspect Mr. Bringhurst is legit, but wow, if you try to follow every one of his "rules" you'll lose your mind.
Still, if you're a graphic designer you really need this book. If nothing else, it'll show you how a book should be designed (as opposed to the Looking Closer series, which ended up being som...more
Still, if you're a graphic designer you really need this book. If nothing else, it'll show you how a book should be designed (as opposed to the Looking Closer series, which ended up being som...more
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so far this book is pretty amazing. i have never thought of type in this way. plus, bringhurst is a great writer.
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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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Read in November, 1996
recommended to Holly by:
My boss Craig
This book is like bread. It offers so many fundamentals of typography that I don't know where to begin. Bringhurst sums up each important element of typography, in very readable prose, laying out the basic rules so we know what to break.
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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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