Type Matters!

by Jim Williams, Ben Casey (Foreword)

Once upon a time, only typesetters needed to know about kerning, leading, ligatures, and hanging punctuation. Today, however, most of us work on computers, with access to hundreds of fonts, and we’d all like our letters, reports and other documents to look as good – and as readable – as possible. But what does all the confusing terminology about ink traps, letter spacing, and visual centring mean, and what are the rules for good typography? Type Matters! is a book of tips for everyday use, for all users of typography, from students and professionals to anyone who does any layout design on a computer. The book is arranged into three an introduction to the basics of typography; headline and display type; and setting text. Within each chapter there are sections devoted to particular principles or problems, such as selecting the right typeface, leading, and the treatment of numbers. Examples throughout show precisely what makes good typography – and, crucially, what doesn’t. Authoritatively written and designed by a practitioner and teacher of typography, Type Matters! has a beautifully clear layout that reinforces the principles discussed throughout.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art Design, Art, Creative, Writing, Reference

160 pages, Leather Bound

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Type Matters! was recommended on Facebook by one of my old college design instructors, so I picked it up. Although there are many competing typography basics books, I think this wonderfully fills a void in typographic education, reminding me of a cross between Ellon Lupton's fun and friendly Thinking With Type and Robert Bringhurst's dense and thorough The Elements of Typographic Style.

Williams manages to explain most of the key concepts in typography with brevity and beauty, giving the reader a base understanding of typography very quickly. There are not real-world examples like are prominent in Lupton's book, and there is not the weighty seriousness of Bringhurst's book either — it's a nice in-between. The book itself is gorgeously designed in a conservative color palette of reds and blacks, printed on uncoated paper, and set mostly in large Garamond Pro.

Recommended for anyone learning to practice design, even professionals wanting to brush up their knowledge.

[Vangelis Venetsanopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

although its good advice , its advice you can get for free online.

[Bianca Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a short book, but in that small amount of space it does a delightful job of summarizing the core aspects of typography. It's also absolutely stunning. Well worth picking up if this is a topic you're interested in understanding, although likely of less worth to experts.

[H James · Rating 2 out of 5]

By filling vast swaths of this relatively thin volume with unnecessarily long examples (e.g., an entire page devoted to proving the illegibility of swashy all‐capital script type), Mr Williams has somehow managed the seemingly contradictory achievement of crafting a book that is both impractically cluttered and virtually empty at the same time. Worse, despite their excessive quantity, the examples frequently fail to illustrate the point Mr William is attempting to make. When discussing the difference between legibility and readability, Mr Williams provides no less than six examples (pp.50–51,68–69), but three show good legibility and readability and three show poor legibility and readability; not one shows a juxtaposition of good legibility and poor readability or vice versa.

Type Matters! champions a few issues that desperately need championing (hanging punctuation!), so it pains me to disparage it, but given how much bad typesetting there is in the examples of ostensibly good typesetting (most notably the absurd letter spacing on p.77 presented as being preferable to a single hyphen), I cannot recommend it. The best I can say is that it demands very little time from the reader.

[Kyttee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really loved this book. It doesn't go into details about typography and its history; it's rather a reference book to get quick info and to refresh your memory as well. It shows the anatomy of typography and demonstrate by examples the wrong and right way to use it. The type references for each paragraph/example are listed right under. The book is a clear and concise resume on typography. I would recommend it to everyone who want to acquire knowledge on the subject.

[Dominik · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very practical and useful introduction to typography. Anyone who isn't a trained graphic designer but does some creative work or text editing either as a hobby or as a favor to others should have read this first. I sure wished I had come across this book much earlier!

Too bad that there are still some errors in the translation in an otherwise very nicely produced book.

[Rajinder Gill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve heard a lot about this book, and it’s often recommended in articles, but I’m not sure why. It’s quite basic, with mostly visuals and lacks depth. I’d recommend it only for complete beginners or those who prefer offline reading. You can find similar information in just a 10-minute YouTube video. So, don’t waste your time; explore other books for a more in-depth experience.

[Marius Černuševičius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading books to become a better designer, this one was recommended many people. And I have been designing things for some time, reminded myself old stuff with a different perspective on the experience I gained and learned a couple of new things.

Glad to have it in my library.

[Phuc Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rất ngắn gọn, đơn giản dễ hiểu. Công việc của Designer còn không phải chỉ kéo khung text box rồi gõ chữ vào, mà còn phải để ý từng tiểu tiết nhỏ của con chữ, đặt dấu câu, con số,.... Đó mới là Designer thực thụ

[Maddison Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for a refresher in typography basics. I learned a few new things, but mainly this book serves as a good reference book to find information quickly. The book is well-made and I enjoy leaving it out!

[Akiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only made it to page 82. I've often thought about creating a German-English basic guide to Typography and Type Design since I move around in both languages. I've had some encouragement from the older Germans in the Letterpress Shop at the Museum of Work to do so.

[Kelly Dienes · Rating 5 out of 5]

hella interesting and visually pleasing, i learned a bunch of stuff i never thought about, and i also put a name to a lot of stuff i DID know but never really thought were real, considered things. does that make sense? this book is cool af and i might buy it

[Yan Bohler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reference book.
Lots of valuable information for youngs graphic designers and nice reminders for the experienced ones.
It's short, so you can read again and again throughtout your career.

[Ellen-Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid resource to keep at my desk.

Very concise. It is somewhat lacking in depth, but also very convenient to have to hand as an easily digestible guide to refer back to.

I did notice that the book itself feels very nice with the smooth pleather cover, ribbons and heavy gsm paper.

[Ozan Tortop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, with basics of typography. Not for designers, for people who type.

[Hong Xuan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and simple, straight to the point, great book

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on typography. This is the perfect desktop companion for every designer dealing or struggling with type.

[Lucia Michalicová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jednoducho, jasne, stručne, zručne, v kocke všetko o typografii, fontoch, písmach, písmenkách aj nepísmenkách ❤️

[Ishqha K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Great for beginners as the examples and explanations provided are detailed enough.

[Hrithik Bhokare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing

[Jolien ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for education

[Deztiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and to-the-point reference book on how to use type on a computer. Definitely a book you will want to read through once and keep forever to refer back to.

[traveler, learner, lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

just a nice book to have! feels good in your hands, looks good to your eyes, and feeds your creative mind and soul.

[Brie🧀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

short but really really good advice and helpful for learning the terminology

[Mirna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book had me at hello? The leather cover and the extra fine printing of the book captured my attention from the very first moment. As for content, the book is a perfect introductory level typography book and it gets you acquainted with the smallest details by giving simple and clear examples. I also like how the book stressed on showing the reader both the good and the bad so that he/she could see better because of the contrast. However, I still feel like there could've been more to the book than the interesting examples and the fancy fancy look, I think there should've been more explanation of the examples - but once again, it's an introductory level book, so that kind of passes.

[Bill Lancaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very elementary book on typography, but very attractively designed and sturdily constructed book. If you are interested in learning some basics of type on your computer, this book would be an excellent start. But if you have dealt with type for some time or have already read comparable books, such as Erik Spiekermann's "Stop Stealing Sheep" then this book will probably not sustain your interest, short as it is.

[Seth Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little basic, but a very well illustrated review, and a book I might point someone to if they needed to polish their type skills. I would probably suggest Ellen Lupton's book, Thinking With Type, before this one, though, because it goes into everything in a way that helps a typographer make good decisions. Type Matters, in comparison to Lupton's book, could be considered more of a concise reference book.

[Bill Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really more of a reference book, but it is something I can see adding to my library. There are so many things in here that I have forgotten over the years that are essential to good typography and even though I am now an engraver, they apply to any work with type. Very clear examples that would be useful to the novice or the old pro.

[Pannita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that most of the typography books are a bit too complicated but not for this one. The book is very easy to read and printed with clear black and red ink. I feel that i learn a lot from it. Highly recommended for basic typographers! Check out my full reference books collection here: http://korpannita.wordpress.com/2013/...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, straightforward (I know, I know, what trite words), and beautiful reference for designing with typography. If you are a just-give-me-the-strategy type person and prefer it in a concise (rudimentary), visual package—as a gorgeous tactile object to boot—get your hands on this guide right here! A fantastic book to keep by the desk.