Just My Type

A Book About Fonts

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Graphic Art & Design, Typography, Reference, Popular Culture
Cover of the book Just My Type by Simon Garfield, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Simon Garfield ISBN: 9781101577813
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: September 1, 2011
Imprint: Avery Language: English
Author: Simon Garfield
ISBN: 9781101577813
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: September 1, 2011
Imprint: Avery
Language: English

A hugely entertaining and revealing guide to the history of type that asks, What does your favorite font say about you?

Fonts surround us every day, on street signs and buildings, on movie posters and books, and on just about every product we buy. But where do fonts come from, and why do we need so many? Who is responsible for the staid practicality of Times New Roman, the cool anonymity of Arial, or the irritating levity of Comic Sans (and the movement to ban it)?

Typefaces are now 560 years old, but we barely knew their names until about twenty years ago when the pull-down font menus on our first computers made us all the gods of type. Beginning in the early days of Gutenberg and ending with the most adventurous digital fonts, Simon Garfield explores the rich history and subtle powers of type. He goes on to investigate a range of modern mysteries, including how Helvetica took over the world, what inspires the seeming ubiquitous use of Trajan on bad movie posters, and exactly why the all-type cover of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was so effective. It also examines why the "T" in the Beatles logo is longer than the other letters and how Gotham helped Barack Obama into the White House. A must-have book for the design conscious, Just My Type's cheeky irreverence will also charm everyone who loved Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Schott's Original Miscellany.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A hugely entertaining and revealing guide to the history of type that asks, What does your favorite font say about you?

Fonts surround us every day, on street signs and buildings, on movie posters and books, and on just about every product we buy. But where do fonts come from, and why do we need so many? Who is responsible for the staid practicality of Times New Roman, the cool anonymity of Arial, or the irritating levity of Comic Sans (and the movement to ban it)?

Typefaces are now 560 years old, but we barely knew their names until about twenty years ago when the pull-down font menus on our first computers made us all the gods of type. Beginning in the early days of Gutenberg and ending with the most adventurous digital fonts, Simon Garfield explores the rich history and subtle powers of type. He goes on to investigate a range of modern mysteries, including how Helvetica took over the world, what inspires the seeming ubiquitous use of Trajan on bad movie posters, and exactly why the all-type cover of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was so effective. It also examines why the "T" in the Beatles logo is longer than the other letters and how Gotham helped Barack Obama into the White House. A must-have book for the design conscious, Just My Type's cheeky irreverence will also charm everyone who loved Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Schott's Original Miscellany.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book The Devil's Feast by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book The Secret Place by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Brave Enough by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Unusual Suspects by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Sins and Needles by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Tom Clancy Under Fire by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Along the Watchtower by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book The Wife He Always Wanted by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Litva: The Rise and Fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book The Gangster by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Murder, She Wrote: Provence--To Die For by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Burning Lamp by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Terminal Run by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book The Lost Stars: Imperfect Sword by Simon Garfield
Cover of the book Holy Ghosts by Simon Garfield
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy