A Typographic Workbook: A Primer to History, Techniques, and Artistry

This book is an excellent starting place for any newbie designer/typographer (despite the shortcomings of occasional poor typography as mentioned in other reviews). It's very difficult to find a book that covers the breadth and depth of this one, yet still manages to deal with fundamental issues in a very readable and accessible way. You won't find another book as comprehensive and practical as this one!

The beauty of the book lies in its ability to reveal ALL the tools and skills you require, in a no-nonsense style, to create legible and artistic type. Your work won't win awards after reading it, but you will be armed with all the practical concepts you need to work with type in a competent and creative manner. I get the impression from the tone of the text that it's written for a young audience, maybe first-year college students, so the writing can sometimes belabor seemingly straight-forward concepts.

The numerous exercises are designed to impart the nuts-and-bolts techniques of how to use type in a practical yet expressive way. Most of the projects are concerned with the mechanics of legibility and information hierarchy, as well as kerning, tracking, leading and ligatures etc. The history sections are also very informative and outline the expansion of writing systems and technologies throughout human social development.

After reading this and completing the exercises, the reader could comfortably move onto a more advanced treatises on type like "The Elements of Typographic Style" by Bringhurst or "Type in Use" by White, equipped with a well-grounded foundation to absorb more technical/conceptual information.

The reviews posted here reflect comments made regarding the 1st edition of this book. The second edition takes into account the many concerns indicated here as well as by other professionals, and provides a more streamlined approach in language that is easier to read.

Please take a look at this verion of "A Typographic Workbook" 2ed to reflect on the changes. Post a new review if you have had a chance to look at it as well!

Very nice book for the beginner to typography as a basic learning tool to supplement a class (which is how I am using it). Has basic information, exercises and resources for beginning graphic artists, but does not take the place of classroom instruction!

As a practicing graphic artist, I've read & studied myriad books on typography. Although much of the information presented in "Typographic Workshop" is already familiar, never have I seen it presented in such a clear & pragmatic fashion. Even experienced artists can find a great deal of practical & interesting typographic facts. This is the typography book I wished I could have started out with.

Type history is presented in context with the prevailing state of civilization ( & barbarism). It brings the historical significance of type alive. In addition, much practical information is presented in comprehensible form. Were I teaching a class in typography, this would be required reading. It's self-teaching, therefore, making this immensely valuable information accesible to all who seek it.

Typography has never been an easy or interesting subject for most people. It is rare to find a book that explores and explains Typography in an interesting and modern. This book does just that. Having taught the subject, I used this book as a basis for my course. It is a wonderful primer for students and a great refresher for typographers. The information is well-written and presented. The book provides wonderful exercises and quizes at the end of each chapter and great typographic examples. My only minor criticism is that some pages are not the easiest to read because of the font and font size that is used - but this is very minor and easily overlooked. I whole-heartedly recommend this book!