The Essential Type Directory: A Sourcebook of Over 1,800 Typefaces and Their Histories

by Peter Dawson, Tobias Frere-Jones (Foreword)

Wherever we go and whatever we do, the printed word plays a part in every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Behind all the messages we see, read, and absorb, the design and choice of typeface dictate the tone, context and immediacy of these words. From advertising and news headlines to book jackets or wayfinding at an airport, choosing the most appropriate typeface is not an easy task, nor one based on aesthetic alone.

With such a diverse and inspiring range of types now on offer, Type Directory separates and identifies these forms to provide a comprehensive selection of available typefaces. Over 1,800 typefaces are organized by category – Serif, Sans Serif, Display and Script – and subsequently arranged by recognized sub-categories. This allows the reader to make a direct comparison of typefaces with a similar appearance, thus facilitating a deeper understanding of the design and selection process. A visual celebration of the craft, innovation and beauty of these letterforms is presented throughout, from classic typefaces like Garamond, Bodoni and Times through to the contemporary Bliss, Gotham and Meta.

The ultimate visual encyclopedia, Type Directory is an essential creative tool for novices and aficionados alike. This sumptuous sourcebook will inform, educate, inspire and stimulate as a must-have reference title.

Genres: Art

672 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2019

About the author

Peter has over 20 years’ experience within the design industry following his graduation from Kingston University in 1992. Having worked as a designer and then creative director at a number of design consultancies, he went on to co-found in 2000 his London-based studio Grade. Peter has worked for a diverse and extensive range of clients over the years from The Barbican to Walt Disney and specialises in branding, typographic and print and publishing design.

Having designed a large number of best-selling and award-winning illustrated book titles, his awards have included British D&AD annual inclusion, ‘Best Jacket’ and ‘Best Book Series’ in the British Book Design and Production Awards, several ISTD (International Society of Typographic Designers) 'Certificates of Excellence' and in October 2014, a 'Premiere Award' in their most recent competition.

Peter is a Fellow, and a former Chair and board member, of the ISTD and has been a visiting typography and design lecturer at a number of universities in the UK and overseas.

In 2012 he co-authored the book, Graphic Design Rules (Frances Lincoln). His second book, The Field Guide to Typography: Typefaces in the Urban Landscape (Thames & Hudson and Prestel) was published in October 2013

Reviews

[H James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whether approached as a serious directory or an inspiration piece, this book fails at virtually all levels, from its content to its design to its physical construction.

The content is dominated by entries for 1,800 typefaces, the vast majority of which are presented with so little information or depiction that they’re nearly impossible to comprehend in a meaningful way. A given entry for an entire type family includes a sample of the 26‐letter English alphabet in upper‐ and lowercase, the 10 numerals, and a smattering of basic punctuation—at a single size, in a single weight, without italics. The release history is conveyed deftly (with dates for both metal original and digital revival when applicable), but features of the family—weights; the languages supported; or the presences of small caps, superscript, or tabular numerals—are mentioned only if space permits in the 50-words allotted to commentary. Anything resembling a useful critique—such as an appraisal of the kerning quality—is entirely absent.

The sequencing of entries further diminishes the chance of Type Directory being functional. Each is placed alphabetically within its determined style—and no exception is made for a typeface prefixed with its foundry name. When my first perusal brought me to a page with Baskerville Classico (1995), Baskerville LT (1923), and Baskerville No 2 (1980), I was more than a little surprised that ITC’s ubiquitous rendition was absent, but the next day I found that, no, it wasn’t absent but instead sorted under ‘I’ for ITC New Baskerville. (Actually absent though, is Storm Type’s 1999 Baskerville Original—the best Baskerville interpretation available today.) Having had my fill of Transitional serifs, I paged onward for Didones only to find myself staring at Helvetica. Why? Because the styles are alphabetized too! Didones are thus sorted under ‘M’ for “Modern / Didone” and not found subsequent to Transitional despite their being the very thing that the so‑called Transitional types were transitioning into.

The hundreds of pages of plain directory entries are studded with illustrated entries for typefaces of greater fame and spotlight features on big‐name designers and foundries. The illustrations are well selected, but the text is rife with questionable statements (the essay on Didot claims that advances in paper technology somehow led to improvements in letter cutting) and general sullying of the English language (“more funding was achieved”).

I was convinced to buy the book due to the implied endorsement of Tobias Frere‐Jones, who wrote the foreword. His contribution though, is a wan 400‐word nothing, as if he realized too late the nature of the horse he had hitched himself to and fulfilled his obligation in the most expedient manner. Perhaps the only good news, if we can call it that, is that the binding seems to be as poor as anything else in the book (mine is gaping in places after only a couple hours of delicate perusal), so it seems quite possible that The Essential Type Directory may do us the courtesy of quietly vanishing itself within a few years.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice referential work.
I like finding these novelty books.