Recently I received through the post something large, yellow and weighing 3kg. No, not a genetically modified banana, but FontShop’s FontBook, the encyclopaedia of type. This book really should come with a health warning: my postman almost had a hernia delivering it, and very nearly sprained his wrist attempting to hold it in one hand as he passed me the delivery receipt with the other. However, with some 32,000 type samples, 1,760 pages, and 100,000 footnotes and cross-references, I don’t think FontShop will be publishing a pocket version any time soon. Read the rest of this entry »

You can’t believe how many times a week I get the question what the font’s name is that I use for my titles on this site. So high time for an introduction to Rene Albert Chalet, the designer of the lovely Chalet typeface. Rene Albert Chalet could easily be one of the most underappreciated typeface designers in history. He did significant contributions to the fashion industry (especially pret-a-porter clothing in the 1960s and 70s) and to the world of type, yet he still is an elusive figure. His main contribution is setting the commercial model for the present fashion industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever seen a typeface (font) you like but couldn’t identify it? I once knew an Art Director who seemed to be able to identify just about any typeface I showed him. However, in recent years, even he responds with, I don’t have a clue. Read the rest of this entry »

Typography is a significant issue for designers. On many projects, finding just the right font, size, spacing, etc. can require considerable time and attention. In addition to typography, color is also a major factor in the success of the design. What is sometimes overlooked is the combination of color and typography and the effect that it has on the overall project. Read the rest of this entry »

If one aspect of design has suffered most in its transition to the Web, it is the art of typography. For years, Web typography involved little more than choosing a typeface and font size. Unstyled Times New Roman was the norm, and the integration of established typographical techniques and rules was unimagined.

But times change. Since the adoption of CSS into mainstream Web design, we have entered a new age of Web typography. This facet of design has been opened up to the Web designer in a way that wasn’t possible in the past. We now have the tools to return typography to its true role within the sphere of design. Read the rest of this entry »

It took three years and three designers to develop FF Meta® Serif. All through the ’90s, Erik Spiekermann made several attempts at designing a counterpart for his groundbreaking FF Meta®. Fans of Meta frequently asked him which serif face would best complement it. He recommended Swift, Minion, FF Clifford, and others, until he realized that he should just buckle down and draw his own serif Meta. True to his principle of collaboration, Spiekermann enlisted the help of accomplished type designers Christian Schwartz and Kris Sowersby. Read the rest of this entry »

The main advantage of excellent typography lies in its ability to be both attractive and functional at the same time. Although images communicate more vividly, text presentation can impress visitors with its sharpness and precise geometrical forms and curves. Consequently, chosen wisely and used carefully, it can be very effective - and there are dozens of outstanding examples of how the latter can be achieved. Read the rest of this entry »