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The New Typography
Since its initial publication in Berlin in 1928, Jan Tschichold's The New Typography has been recognized as the definitive treatise on book and graphic design in the machine age. First published in English in 1995, with an excellent introduction by Robin Kinross, this new edition includes a foreword by Rich Hendel, who considers current thinking about Tschichold's life and work.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 12, 2008
Like many folks who have read this book, I was simultaneously impressed with the intellect and repulsed by the arrogance Mr. Tschichold. This book is enlightening and maddeningly annoying. Nonetheless, it's essential reading to anyone who studies graphic design.
Feel free to skip the DIN charts in the back. Yeesh.
Feel free to skip the DIN charts in the back. Yeesh.
April 1, 2013
Что можно сказать? Книга написана в далекие 20-е годы, поэтому обладает как минусами, так и плюсами.
Плохого в ней то, что знания не достаточно прикладные. Т.е. прочитав книгу, вы не станете внезапно разбираться в типографике и шрифтах, потому что Чихольд много пишет о том, что гротеск заруливает и не нужно делать симметричный дизайн. Но в наше время, технологии ушли далеко вперед, поэтому нам нет смысла ограничивать себя одной рубленой гарнитурой.
Из хорошего можно узнать как зарождался практичный подход к типографике, когда на фоне развития абстракционизма в живописи все меньшее значение стали приобретать орнамент и всяческая мишура свойственная 19 веку и большее значение начинает получать, вы не поверите, юзабилити. Чихольд оперирует другими выражениями, но говорит о том, что в наши годы (и это начало прошлого века) жизнь так стремительна и так много информации, что типографику нужно делать удобной, наглядной, эффективной и проч. в отличие от старой типографики, когда наборщики копировали дизайн библейских трудов, созданный еще 300 лет назад.
Т.е. в этой книге мы видим начало современного дизайна, когда промышленная революция, равноправие, научный прогресс, глобализация и прочее стали влиять на оформление газет, рекламы и т.п. с чем сталкивается в своей работе современный дизайнер. Это интересно.
Плохого в ней то, что знания не достаточно прикладные. Т.е. прочитав книгу, вы не станете внезапно разбираться в типографике и шрифтах, потому что Чихольд много пишет о том, что гротеск заруливает и не нужно делать симметричный дизайн. Но в наше время, технологии ушли далеко вперед, поэтому нам нет смысла ограничивать себя одной рубленой гарнитурой.
Из хорошего можно узнать как зарождался практичный подход к типографике, когда на фоне развития абстракционизма в живописи все меньшее значение стали приобретать орнамент и всяческая мишура свойственная 19 веку и большее значение начинает получать, вы не поверите, юзабилити. Чихольд оперирует другими выражениями, но говорит о том, что в наши годы (и это начало прошлого века) жизнь так стремительна и так много информации, что типографику нужно делать удобной, наглядной, эффективной и проч. в отличие от старой типографики, когда наборщики копировали дизайн библейских трудов, созданный еще 300 лет назад.
Т.е. в этой книге мы видим начало современного дизайна, когда промышленная революция, равноправие, научный прогресс, глобализация и прочее стали влиять на оформление газет, рекламы и т.п. с чем сталкивается в своей работе современный дизайнер. Это интересно.
March 17, 2021
Between 2.5 and 3 stars.
Out of curiosity I picked this book. What is typography? Jan Tschichold published this book in 1920 (almost a hundred years ago!) during a time when most of the newspapers, business letters, business cards, basically any printed form of text was wild and not standardized. For instance, the first letter of headlines would be ridiculously decorated and centered (instead of placed to the left). Business cards would appear in all types of different sizes instead of the now common A7 size. Posters would include over five different font sizes and fonts. So Tschichold advocated for standardization, functionality & clarity (instead of artistic decorations), bringing costs down. He openly criticizes the old ways and pushes for clear breaks from the past. He also supported photography as a means of illustration (to fulfill demands of readers that only want to skim texts). As I read this, I wondered, what would Tschichold think of typography, advertisement, magazines, marketing, photoshop, and social media today?
Out of curiosity I picked this book. What is typography? Jan Tschichold published this book in 1920 (almost a hundred years ago!) during a time when most of the newspapers, business letters, business cards, basically any printed form of text was wild and not standardized. For instance, the first letter of headlines would be ridiculously decorated and centered (instead of placed to the left). Business cards would appear in all types of different sizes instead of the now common A7 size. Posters would include over five different font sizes and fonts. So Tschichold advocated for standardization, functionality & clarity (instead of artistic decorations), bringing costs down. He openly criticizes the old ways and pushes for clear breaks from the past. He also supported photography as a means of illustration (to fulfill demands of readers that only want to skim texts). As I read this, I wondered, what would Tschichold think of typography, advertisement, magazines, marketing, photoshop, and social media today?
September 23, 2018
Kyle from work gave me this to read because I had told him about my book a week project and I am glad because this is clearly a CRITICAL MOMENT in graphic design that I’ve never really gave much consideration to before but yeah true there must have been this volatile period of transition between the old gothic aesthetic and this new sleek look we describe as “modern”. I will say this was very tough for me to get through Tschichold definitely has some valuable things to say but he’s very arrogant about his often extremely strict guidelines and SO redundant. Sans serif! Left-Align! Standardize! I get it! I think it’s tough to judge because I’m reading this nearly 100 years after it was written so times and norms are completely different now, but what I loved about this was the way it took me back on the timeline of graphic design and demonstrated what a “design movement” looks like and also made me realize that “good design” is completely relative. That said, there were many examples in the book that still today so much later I found very impressive. This book is definitely intended (especially if you’re reading it at this point) for a super niche audience, so would only recommend to someone that’s really jazzed on the history of typography and how graphic design came to be the way it is today. Otherwise, I would say don’t endure the struggle.
August 10, 2020
Amazing read, and inspired me to pursue design with more rigor and focus- But it's important to look at books Jan Tschichold wrote after this- He flipped his view on many of the things he was adamant about here, and chalks it up partially to a subconscious affect of Nazi Totalitarianism growing up in Germany.
So interesting to see a designer shift perspectives and reflect, and I wish it happened more in design today. It's a good reminder that the craft of design is an unfolding experiment that's often a response to & echo of new and changing mediums & the cultural Zeitgeist, not a rigid science with rules set in stone. Unfortunately I worry that many designers reading this book in school and otherwise will consider this a stone tablet rather than a flag in time for a great designer.
So interesting to see a designer shift perspectives and reflect, and I wish it happened more in design today. It's a good reminder that the craft of design is an unfolding experiment that's often a response to & echo of new and changing mediums & the cultural Zeitgeist, not a rigid science with rules set in stone. Unfortunately I worry that many designers reading this book in school and otherwise will consider this a stone tablet rather than a flag in time for a great designer.
May 30, 2019
If you work with fonts, then I highly recommend this book. One of the must read books for designers, artists and other art people. Later, the author rethink his opinion, but there are still useful points in the book.
***
Если вы работаете со шрифтами, то я настоятельно рекомендую эту книгу. Один из обязательных к прочтению случаев для художников, дизайнеров и прочих творческих личностей. Позднее автор переосмыслит свои взгляды по поводу высказанных в этой книге мыслей, но здесь есть чему поучиться.
***
Если вы работаете со шрифтами, то я настоятельно рекомендую эту книгу. Один из обязательных к прочтению случаев для художников, дизайнеров и прочих творческих личностей. Позднее автор переосмыслит свои взгляды по поводу высказанных в этой книге мыслей, но здесь есть чему поучиться.
June 10, 2018
Quite an interesting book, more so if you work in publishing and are able to understand Tschichold's influence in today's publications.
Recommended to book designers and any people interested in the history of graphic design and typography. I would even say an essensial book to understand where a lot of today's standards of design comes from
Recommended to book designers and any people interested in the history of graphic design and typography. I would even say an essensial book to understand where a lot of today's standards of design comes from
March 21, 2020
The definitive manifesto for visual communication in the machine age, encapsulating the art-historical moment when subjective romanticism gave way to streamlined objectivity, as befitting a new world in which only the collective union of "precision and soul" was then appropriate.
January 26, 2012
If you have any interest in typography or graphic design, then this is one book you must read.
Tschoichold is the originator of almost all the principles of modern type layout, heavily influenced by the Constructivist art of Kandinsky and Moholy-Nagy. The famed "Swiss Movement" merely implemented the guidelines he sets out in this book. Any yet, he was largely written out of typographic history, because he later recanted and returned to more traditional centered layouts and serif fonts. He described his early writings as too authoritarian, and given his experiences in Nazi Germany, this sat uncomfortably with him.
The book is possibly the only early treatise on typography designed for practical use, not theoretical debate. The book's examples are the normal "stock-in" trade of any printer or designer; letterheads, business cards, posters, all rendered in standard sans-serif fonts (usually Akzidenz Grotesk). The "before and after" format shows you just how radical a change he proposed, and his examples would still be perfectly usable 80 years later.
Tschoichold is the originator of almost all the principles of modern type layout, heavily influenced by the Constructivist art of Kandinsky and Moholy-Nagy. The famed "Swiss Movement" merely implemented the guidelines he sets out in this book. Any yet, he was largely written out of typographic history, because he later recanted and returned to more traditional centered layouts and serif fonts. He described his early writings as too authoritarian, and given his experiences in Nazi Germany, this sat uncomfortably with him.
The book is possibly the only early treatise on typography designed for practical use, not theoretical debate. The book's examples are the normal "stock-in" trade of any printer or designer; letterheads, business cards, posters, all rendered in standard sans-serif fonts (usually Akzidenz Grotesk). The "before and after" format shows you just how radical a change he proposed, and his examples would still be perfectly usable 80 years later.
July 4, 2013
This book is an interesting read from a design history standpoint. It was originally written in 1928, by a 26 year old designer who abandoned many of the edicts within the following 5 years. However, some of his ideas still hold true - we should indeed design for today's technology rather than trying to force all that we can do today into yesterday's rigid confines. Tschichold argued in favor of standardized paper sizes and using photos in design. It's mind-boggling in our time to think those things were resisted when they were new. It was fun to read Tschichold's early ideas on book design, knowing that he would go on to change book design as we still know it today through his work at Penguin.
March 17, 2008
The 1928 classic on modern typography is worth reading for those who are interested in the historical jump from classic book typography and advertising typography to how we think about type today. Much of the book still hold relevance for typographers today, but the last part is a little dated. It is more of a manifesto to printers to standardize page and paper sizes which has already happened.
03.16.08
03.16.08
October 6, 2017
Сильно чувствуется, так сказать, дух времени. Здесь у Чихольда много перегибов (никакой симметрии, прописные буквы не нужны, всё надо стандартизовать), но он и другие воины того периода очень много смысла внесли в печатное дело.
Хорошо рассказано, откуда появился конструктивизм и как менялись течения до этого.
Хорошо рассказано, откуда появился конструктивизм и как менялись течения до этого.
January 17, 2009
The guy's a great graphic designer but I couldn't help laughing all the way through. I know I'm supposed to see this in its historical context but it's just absolutely ridiculous, and him being the most arrogant person ever doesn't help at all.
November 2, 2010
Three stars for being a classic, and a stepping stone to many (better) works that came afterwards. One star for Tschichold's contributions to the design cosmos. Minus 1 star for it being dated, arrogant, and sometimes full of shit--pretty, well-designed shit is still shit.
July 27, 2014
Clearly dated. Tschichold's acting as a partisan here (he later said he regretted his vehemence), and it doesn't age well, but an interesting typographic curiosity. That said, it's not bad, and there's some valuable tidbits. Really more like 3.5 stars.
September 29, 2014
Interesting explanation of how early modern typographers were thinking about how to use type. Mirrors a lot of architectural thinking of the time, I think. In general, this reminds me a lot of flat design, and this question of what "natural" means in new mediums.
Want to read
October 17, 2007Thanks for Sabon, Jan.
" We do not need pretentious books for the wealthy we need more really well made ordinary books. "- Jan Tschichold
" We do not need pretentious books for the wealthy we need more really well made ordinary books. "- Jan Tschichold
February 1, 2008
This book is to a typographer, what Corbu's Towards A New Architecture is to an architect.
November 14, 2008
From my schooling, this is one of the best books ever made about graphic design. He is one of the masters of the art, and anything you can glean from his book will benefit your design sense.
September 15, 2011
Beautiful pictures.
September 26, 2011
A bit dogmatic, but helpful in gaining insight into the mindset of what led to Modernist typography.
Read
September 7, 2012Recommended. Didn't read everything in detail, but bold design, extremely helpful in understanding principles of Tschichold's typography.
October 9, 2018
Very good work. I wish I had this back when I made my BFA.
February 12, 2014
Groundbreaking for the time period.
I didn't sense quite as much arrogance from the author as some reviewers.
The author believed in his own ideas (at least at the time the book was written).
I didn't sense quite as much arrogance from the author as some reviewers.
The author believed in his own ideas (at least at the time the book was written).
January 8, 2019
Дизайн "до компьютерной эры".
September 5, 2021
Любопытно почитать о взгляде на типографику из середины прошлого века. Практическая польза в современных реалиях сомнительная.
September 10, 2009
My first real dive into the theory of this practice.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews