- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Peachpit Press; 2 edition (22 Sep 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0321303369
- ISBN-13: 978-0321303363
- Product Dimensions: 25.7 x 19.6 x 1.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 721,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Product Description
Seven years is a long time in any industry, but when it comes to the worlds of design and technology (and particularly the point at which the two merge), it's an eternity! No wonder, then, that you (and about a million other readers!) have been eagerly awaiting this latest update to Robin Williams' enormously popular Non-Designer's series. In these pages, Robin defines the principles that govern type as well as the logic behind them so that you learn not just what looks best but why on your way to creating effective print and Web pages. Each short chapter in this thoroughly updated guide (which includes new coverage of typography in Adobe InDesign and Mac OS X) explores a different type secret or technique, including understanding legibility and readability; tailoring typeface to a particular project; mastering pull quotes and captions; working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, and justification; and more. The nonplatform- and nonsoftware-specific approach and Robin's lively, engaging style make this a must-have for any designer's bookshelf!
From the Back Cover
Seven years is a long time in any industry, but when it comes to the worlds of design and technology (and particularly the point at which the two merge), it's an eternity! No wonder, then, that you (and about a million other readers!) have been eagerly awaiting this latest update to Robin Williams' enormously popular Non-Designer's series. In these pages, Robin defines the principles that govern type as well as the logic behind them so that you learn not just what looks best but why on your way to creating effective print and Web pages. Each short chapter in this thoroughly updated guide (which includes new coverage of typography in Adobe InDesign and Mac OS X) explores a different type secret or technique, including understanding legibility and readability; tailoring typeface to a particular project; mastering pull quotes and captions; working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, and justification; and more. The nonplatform- and nonsoftware-specific approach and Robin's lively, engaging style make this a must-have for any designer's bookshelf!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Robin Williams covers just what you really need to know in this short book. No useless chatter, just important information in a what-to-do and what-not-to-do manner with just the perfect dash of sarcasm and humour to create a relaxed atmosphere for learning.
The book begins with a bit of the history and structure of fonts. Very important information for beginners. But it immediately gets into information which results in an immediate improvement in your work whether you are a typesetter or graphic designer. You would now know what makes for tacky typography and what rules you could break to create a more artistic, daring, and edgy piece of work.
Every topic is accompanied by an illustration of the wrong way and the right way to do things and a list of the fonts used in the illustration (VERY HELPFUL!)
This is definitely a must-have book for anyone in the world of print media.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Robin Williams is an enjoyable writer. This book, as are her others, is clear and unpatronising in its approach to design. She provides visual examples of each phase in the design process as well careful explanations. Her style allows for personal interpretation rather than giving a definitive solution to all design problems. It is a bit like being back at school with a good teacher explaining, demonstrating and then letting you have a go. If you are a designer looking for ideas, a non designer needing help with designing pages or just interested in the visual world around us then you will enjoy this book.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a handy basic introduction to type design issues. But it is marred by some of the author's eccentric beliefs, stated as facts.
First of all, whatever you think of Helvetica (and I'm not a fan), I don't think it's showing any signs of fading from our public spaces, more's the pity.
Second (and related to the above), her fondness for wacky, eye-catching, "novelty" typefaces is going to lead many people in quite the wrong direction. If you're designing a club flyer or a magazine ad., maybe it's useful advice; but, if taken to heart by a beginner, it would be a disaster for the production of readable, proportioned, pleasing typography in long texts. As for her defence - without cautionary words - of the use of bold italics for emphasis: I'm afraid that just makes me shudder! As a book editor as well as a typesetter myself, I can't tell you how many hours I've had to waste removing such typographical detritus from the texts of authors who should have known better. Now I know where they might have got the idea from...
Finally, a smaller point, which may be to do with a difference between US and British usage, but of which UK users of this book should therefore be aware. To my mind, it is ugly and unwarranted (I'll just come right out and say it: illiterate!) to follow an italicised word or phrase contained within a roman paragraph with italic punctuation (or bold with bold, or whatever - see p. 67). Punctuation outside an emphasised phrase does not belong to that phrase, but forms part of the scaffolding that holds the phrase in place. Like all scaffolding, it shouldn't bend under the influence of what it's supporting, but should damn well stay put! (Don't just take my word for this - see section 6.6 of The Oxford Manual of Style). Lamentably, though, this does seem to be the general advice offered in most US texts on the subject, including one of the ones I recommend below. (And I'm no knee-jerk opponent of US practice: the so-called "Oxford comma" - prevalent not just in Oxford but in the US, though frowned upon by many UK style guides, and by Lynne Truss, I believe - seems to me like a very sensible thing.)
So, all in all, a useful introductory text; but for a proper grounding in typography - and especially if your main interest is in book design - go instead to The Elements of Typographic Style and/or The Complete Manual of Typography: A Guide to Setting Perfect Type.
First of all, whatever you think of Helvetica (and I'm not a fan), I don't think it's showing any signs of fading from our public spaces, more's the pity.
Second (and related to the above), her fondness for wacky, eye-catching, "novelty" typefaces is going to lead many people in quite the wrong direction. If you're designing a club flyer or a magazine ad., maybe it's useful advice; but, if taken to heart by a beginner, it would be a disaster for the production of readable, proportioned, pleasing typography in long texts. As for her defence - without cautionary words - of the use of bold italics for emphasis: I'm afraid that just makes me shudder! As a book editor as well as a typesetter myself, I can't tell you how many hours I've had to waste removing such typographical detritus from the texts of authors who should have known better. Now I know where they might have got the idea from...
Finally, a smaller point, which may be to do with a difference between US and British usage, but of which UK users of this book should therefore be aware. To my mind, it is ugly and unwarranted (I'll just come right out and say it: illiterate!) to follow an italicised word or phrase contained within a roman paragraph with italic punctuation (or bold with bold, or whatever - see p. 67). Punctuation outside an emphasised phrase does not belong to that phrase, but forms part of the scaffolding that holds the phrase in place. Like all scaffolding, it shouldn't bend under the influence of what it's supporting, but should damn well stay put! (Don't just take my word for this - see section 6.6 of The Oxford Manual of Style). Lamentably, though, this does seem to be the general advice offered in most US texts on the subject, including one of the ones I recommend below. (And I'm no knee-jerk opponent of US practice: the so-called "Oxford comma" - prevalent not just in Oxford but in the US, though frowned upon by many UK style guides, and by Lynne Truss, I believe - seems to me like a very sensible thing.)
So, all in all, a useful introductory text; but for a proper grounding in typography - and especially if your main interest is in book design - go instead to The Elements of Typographic Style and/or The Complete Manual of Typography: A Guide to Setting Perfect Type.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
spot-on rules, dodgy taste
the perfect book for anyone given the task of 'designing' who wouldn't call themselves a designer. also a valuable primer for anyone beginning a graphic design qualifcation (or... Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2006 by a-to-the-d
A great book on typestyle
This is a great book describing the many covensions of type and how to use fonts effectively.
It is very pro Mac which is a common theme amonst designers. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2005 by Mr. RD Smith
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