This title presents the history, concepts and how-tos of type-setting, presented in easily digestible chunks indexed for quick reference. Step-by-step instructions explain the mechanical processes behind aesthetically pleasing pages.

Books depend on good design to communicate. This practical guide to typography explains the principles of good design, why they exist and when and how to put them into practice.

The origin of the ubiquitous typeface Celebrated printer and type designer Giambattista Bodoni set the standard for printing the alphabet with his Manuale Tipografico (1818). The two-volume set--published posthumously in a limited edition of 250--features 142 sets of roman and italic typefaces, a wide selection of borders, ornaments, symbols, and flowers, as well as Greek, Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, Phoenician, Armenian, Coptic, and Tibetan alphabets. Official printer for the Duke of Parma, Bodoni (1740-1813) declared that well-designed type derived its beauty from four principles: uniformity of design, sharpness and neatness, good taste, and charm. His typefaces display an unprecedented degree of technical refinement, and epitomize purity and grace. The culmination of more than four decades of work, the Manuale Tipografico represents one of history's greatest typographical achievements. The Bodoni typeface is still widely used even today, both in digital media and in print, and TASCHEN's meticulous reprint of Bodoni's masterwork gives readers a rare opportunity to explore the origins of the Bodoni typeface and learn about its creator.

Just My Type is not just a font book, but a book of stories. About how Helvetica and Comic Sans took over the world. About why Barack Obama opted for Gotham, while Amy Winehouse found her soul in 30s Art Deco. About the great originators of type, from Baskerville to Zapf, or people like Neville Brody who threw out the rulebook, or Margaret Calvert, who invented the motorway signs that are used from Watford Gap to Abu Dhabi. About the pivotal moment when fonts left the world of Letraset and were loaded onto computers ... and typefaces became something we realised we all have an opinion about. As the Sunday Times review put it, the book is 'a kind of Eats, Shoots and Leaves for letters, revealing the extent to which fonts are not only shaped by but also define the world in which we live.' This edition is available with both black and silver covers.

This hands-on design guide helps readers build a foundation for the development of an individual typographic sensibility by providing a brief outline of the evolution of type, an introduction to the language and terminology of type and type setting, fundamental rules and conventions of professional practice, and key decisions on type selection and page layout. More typefaces are now readily available to a wider public than at any time in the past–this book presents a basis for the confident and informed exploration of a rich and vivid medium that continues to play a fundamental role in human communication.A directory of typefaces places the major type categories and typefaces into their historical context, introducing some key examples of excellence in contemporary type design as well as identifying the fundamental values that have sustained the continued use of classic typefaces over the last 500 years of print history.A guide for aspiring designers, typographers, graphic artists, desktop publishers, and advertising production people who want to sharpen their attention to detail and develop a sensitive typographical eye.

Explore the fundamentals of typography with this practical new guide. An instructional reader rather than historical survey, Design Elements: Typography Fundamentals uses well-founded, guiding principles to teach the language of type and how to use it capably. Designers are left with a solid ground on which to design with type. Limitless potential for meaningful and creative communication exists—this is the field guide for the journey!

For designers, non-designers, and desktop publishers. Fine typography is timeless; typesetting technology may change, but there is only so much a good computer program can do. Using type creatively has more to do with aesthetics and common sense than it does with how the type is set, who sets it, or how much it costs. For guidance we can no longer look to the professional typographer for help; we are now the typographers. Basic Typography explains clearly and simply how type works, so the designer and non-designer alike will be able to take full advantage of type's enormous potential. To help the reader find the necessary information quickly, the book is presented in a series of self-contained units that are grouped under three headings: Terminology, Design, and Copyfitting.

The fourth edition, fully revised enlarged and reset in 2012, further updated in 2017. Version 4.3 of the 4th edition (2019) includes many updates; see title page verso for a list of pages.