The Bottom Line
This is an excellent introduction to typography for non-designers and beginning designers. It shows how and why to set type like a pro.
Pros
- Concise information in compact book
- Well-illustrated
- Non-platform, non-software specific
Cons
- Sometimes condescending tone
Description
- Author: Robin Williams
- Paperback. 240 pages
- Peachpit Press, ISBN: 0201353679
- 33 chapters, each devoted to a single aspect of setting type.
Guide Review - The Non-Designer's Type Book
After a brief history of typography and how setting type affects readability, each short chapter presents the rules of typography as they apply to topics such as quotation marks, small caps, kerning, captions, alignment, and choosing a typeface. Illustrations depict both the wrong and the right way to set type so that you can immediately see how to improve your own work and recognize good and bad typography when you see it. Some readers may feel that author Williams at times appears to "talk down" to the reader but the information is sound. This is an excellent introduction to design for the casual desktop publisher. Those with slightly more experience will also find it useful as a refresher and quick reference.
