Anatomy of a typeface

Lawson, Alexander S

David R. Godine Publisher, 1990 - Crafts & Hobbies - 428 pages

To the layman, all printing types look the same. But for typographers, graphic artists, and others of that lunatic fringe who believe that the letters we look at daily (and take entirely for granted) are of profound importance, the question of how letters are formed, what shape they assume, and how they have evolved remains one of passionate concern.
That exploration of letter forms, and their division and classification into "families" or generic groupings, is the heart of this comprehensive study. Written by an expert who has examined letters all his life, this monumental analysis of letter forms considers a broad and representative range of international typefaces. Lawson explores the vast territory of types, their development and uses, their antecedents and offspring, with precision, insight, and clarity. From Garamond to Bembo to the design and manufacture of sans-serif letters and newspaper types, this is the first full-scale investigation of typefaces since D. B. Updike's classic Printing Types was published in 1922.

What people are saying

Review: Anatomy of a Typeface

User Review  - Wendy - Goodreads

I was hoping that this book would literally be an anatomy of a typeface - a look at how the different parts of a typeface fit together to contribute to legibility, beauty, or some other desired ...

Review: Anatomy of a Typeface

User Review  - Chris - Goodreads

An excellent narrative on the development of several typefaces. Covers everything from the blackface of Gutenberg to sans-serif fonts. Is great for explaining the peculiarities of why some things are the way they are in the world of typesetting and very readable.

Contents

• Preface: 7
• Goudy Text and the Blackletter Types: 13
• Hammer Uncial: 35
• Cloister Old Style: 47
• 4 Centaur: 62
• Bembo: 74
• Arrighi: 84
• Dante: 98
• Goudy Old Style: 113
• Palatine: 120
• Garamond: 129
• n Galliard 14 1: 147
• Sabon: 151
• 14 Janson: 158
• Caslon: 169
• Baskerville: 184
• Bodoni: 196
• Bulmer: 209
• Bell: 218
• Oxford: 229
• Caledonia: 243
• Cheltenham: 253
• Bookman: 262
• Times Roman: 270
• Newspaper Types: 277
• Franklin Gothic and the Twentiethcentury Gothics: 295
• Clarendon and the Square serif Revival: 308
• Optima and the Humanist Sansserif Types: 324
• Futura and the Geometric Sansserif Types: 337
• Script Cursive and Decorated Types: 349
• Type Making from Punch to Computer: 381
• Bibliography: 405
• Index: 413

Bibliographic information

• Title: Anatomy of a typeface
• Author: Lawson, Alexander S
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher, 1990
• ISBN: 0879233338, 9780879233334
• Length: 428 pages
• Subjects: Crafts & Hobbies / General; Design / Graphic Arts / Typography