How To Design a Typeface

How To Design

by Elizabeth Wilhide

How to Design a Typeface tells you everything you need to know and looks at the principles and processes of designing type, from its historical roots and interaction with materials and techniques to developing digitized type for modern use.

In a working case study Jonathan Barnbrook, on of the world's foremost typographers, traces the design and development of his typeface Priori from start to finish and reveals what it takes to create a successful design.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2010

About the author

Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of many books on design and interiors and two novels. Born in the United States, she now resides in London.

Reviews

[Peter Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tells you nothing about how to design typefaces but an interesting history with added bonus of a case study/ interview with some anarchic designers. Nicely put together volume but I couldn't find what the printers had set the type in!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly misnamed, as the book didn't exactly explain how to design a typeface, but talked about how some people designed typefaces. Still interesting.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tersely written history of typography and type design, accompanied by well selected illustrations. The last third of How to Design a Typeface is devoted to an interview with Jonathan Barnbrook which probes his type design process and views on the industry. This was my favourite part of the book, and added some weight to an otherwise inconsequential text.

[Spencer Fraye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the interview portion of it and there was a lot of helpful stuff but I think it was misnamed because it didn't talk a lot about the creation process, it was mostly a collection of critiques on typefaces and the different assortments of type.

[woodford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked looking at the typefaces. Good book for typefaces.

[Adrian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a small coffee table book that doesn't deliver what the title advertises. As such, I wonder if it is intended to be read, or as an ideas generator/talking point.

Incidentally, that makes it very hard to rate. I have left the rating as it does not deliver on the promise of the title/blurb, but if you already kind of have an interest in design, this book could spark some creative ideas (particularly from the case study) and give you something to work from.

Don't read it as a book, but if you want it for ideas, you could consider adding another star to my rating.