House Industries Lettering Manual

by Ken Barber

Learn the history and techniques of hand lettering from a renowned design studio. This practical and visual guide features exercises, case studies, and typographic models for letter styles such as serif, sans serif, brush, and script. Known throughout the world for its eclectic typeface collections and far-reaching creative exploits, from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space technology, House Industries has been a standard bearer for American graphic design for more than twenty-five years. The House Industries Lettering Manual is an accessible hands-on guide to drawing letters from Ken Barber, House's head letterer and type design director.Modeled after a series of sold-out lettering workshops that Ken has conducted around the world, this highly illustrated handbook outlines the history of lettering, various methods and techniques, common letter styles, and best practices for getting paid for your work. This handy how-to guide also provides lettering models to help sharpen your drawing skills and offer departure points for further experimentation. Designed by House Industries and including copious examples, exercises, and opportunities to practice what you've learned, plus photographs of works-in-progress and finished projects, this instructive and visually engaging book will help you master the dynamic art of lettering, whether you're a budding artist or an experienced designer.

Genres: Design, Art, Nonfiction, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2020

Reviews

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Не бях много уверена, че ще ми допадне, но се оказа доста изчерпателно и полезно четиво. Има упражнения, както и проекти от практиката на студиото на автора. Но най-полезната информация е как представя връзката между типография, летъринг и калиграфия.

Отделно има куп разкошни илюстрации, които са ти достатъчни да те надъхат само като ги гледаш. :)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. It's unfortunate that they had issues with the binding of the first batch because this book should be in the hands of everyone who wants to learn lettering. The first step in learning to draw letters is learning how to *see* letters. This sounds incredibly stupid, I know. I'm sure you're thinking, "What do you mean? I've been looking at letters my whole life?" That is sort of my point. You have spent your whole life *reading* letters rather than really looking at their curves, the tension between their black and white space, their details. In fact, your brain subconsciously removes the details so that you recognize an "a" in Helvetica is the same symbol as an "a" in Arial or Calibri or the thousands of other Latin typefaces that exist in the world. This book will help you learn the fundamentals of how to begin seeing the details and, once seen, how to begin replicating their shapes in unique layouts. Do not expect this book to teach you everything you need to know about lettering. Instead, let it teach you the basics and then use its Recommended Reading list to dive deeper into the principles presented here.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always interesting to explore an alien art form. I don't know if this book is useful to the experienced letterer, but for someone with absolutely no background in the craft, The House Industries Lettering Manual is the perfect introduction.

Informal and humorous, the book covers an enormous amount of material while maintaining a manageable pace. Practical considerations, like what pens and pencils to use, live alongside the history of various letterforms and inspiring case studies detailing the creative process behind familiar logos. Throughout, you'll find a thorough attention to detail that somehow never allows the reader to become lost in minutae. It's both a quick read that also seems to cover a full, collegiate semester of instruction from a cool, down-to-earth professor.

If you have even a passing interest in the ever-present art of lettering, give this book a chance.

[Amy Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so incredibly helpful for any lettering or type designer out there. It covers the basics of lettering, the anatomy of letterforms, defines and clarifies terminology, and gives you tips and tricks to the process of making your own lettering and type. There are tons of visual examples, case studies from Ken Barber's own work, and interesting historical info too. I'm a type designer (Hoodzpahdesign.com) with a couple of fonts, and a ton of custom type to my name and I found this book to be a great 101 book for type beginners and even a great refresher for experienced designers looking to shore up their type knowledge.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only issue I have is with the physical book; an issue they know about where the binding used was substandard. But the info and examples used in this book are phenomenal and well-explained, and you can't help but want to break out a pencil and paper and get some ideas down.

[Jordan Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know much about lettering, but it seemed like it had everything you could want in a lettering manual, and it's a very pretty book too.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome introduction to hand-lettering! Useful examples, break-down of letter construction in different styles, and overview of basic concepts, plus recommended additional reading.

[Abhishek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I have read this year. Immensely satisfying and will take a while to unpack and apply. The kind of stuff I missed when I started out.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up do to a side comment on a Laura Kolsch live feed. A whole lot of information on lettering, some history, but mostly practical how-to.

[Andrea Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must! Well explained, detailed and easy to digest. Are you a lettering artist? Do you aspire to be one? READ THIS!

[Hyeyun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful, lots of knowledge and information about lettering. The only reason I removed one star is because I wish there were more instruction towards lettering practices.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential resource for the fundamentals of custom lettering. Stylishly designed, charmingly written and useful for beginners and experienced creatives alike.