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Designing Type
An indispensable new guide for developing and designing typefaces
One of the most essential tools of graphic design, typography influences the appearance of visual print materials perhaps more than any other component. This essential book explains the processes behind creating and designing type. Author Karen Cheng discusses issues of structure, optical compensation, and legibility, with special emphasis given to the often overlooked relationships between letters and shapes in font design.
The book is illustrated with numerous diagrams that demonstrate visual principles and letter construction, ranging from informal progress sketches to final type designs and diagrams. A wide range of classic and modern typefaces is analyzed, including those from many premier contemporary type foundries. Introductory essays and diagrams emphasize the history of type, the primary systems of typeface classification, the two main proportional systems for type, the parts of a letter, the effects of new technology on design methodology, the optical illusions that affect density and balance in letterforms, and the differences in form between basic serif typestyles. The book provides detailed guidelines for creating serif and sans serif letters, numbers, punctuation, and accents.
As design clients increasingly call for original and custom typefaces, Designing Type is a superb reference for both students and professional graphic designers.
One of the most essential tools of graphic design, typography influences the appearance of visual print materials perhaps more than any other component. This essential book explains the processes behind creating and designing type. Author Karen Cheng discusses issues of structure, optical compensation, and legibility, with special emphasis given to the often overlooked relationships between letters and shapes in font design.
The book is illustrated with numerous diagrams that demonstrate visual principles and letter construction, ranging from informal progress sketches to final type designs and diagrams. A wide range of classic and modern typefaces is analyzed, including those from many premier contemporary type foundries. Introductory essays and diagrams emphasize the history of type, the primary systems of typeface classification, the two main proportional systems for type, the parts of a letter, the effects of new technology on design methodology, the optical illusions that affect density and balance in letterforms, and the differences in form between basic serif typestyles. The book provides detailed guidelines for creating serif and sans serif letters, numbers, punctuation, and accents.
As design clients increasingly call for original and custom typefaces, Designing Type is a superb reference for both students and professional graphic designers.
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2006
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754 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 15, 2012
Ok, you slugged it through design school where you learned about typefaces like serif, sans serif, ornamental...the works. While you now know the difference between Bauhaus and Arial, you still don't know how to design a typeface. Designing Type can rescue you, especially if you need to design a typeface in a hurry for a client who demands something to go with his product line...
Author Karen Cheng, associate professor at the University of Washington's Visual Communication Design Program in Seattle, teaches type design and typography. The lessons that she includes in her book are so simple that you can understand the type designer's process almost overnight. Cheng states, "There is no single, `correct' process for creating a typeface. The methodologies of individual designers are as unique and varied as the designs themselves."
From this starting point, Cheng proceeds to explain how a typeface is developed, and then provides examples and diagrams that demonstrate visual principles, type construction, and optical illusions that affect typeface uniformity. She creates a step-by-step process through letters, numbers, and punctuation and accents, all developed through a variety of methods from sketching to vector graphics.
While Cheng does include history of type and foundries in her narratives, the emphasis is on type development. The only problem that you might face is that Cheng focuses only on serif and sans serif faces, and these choices are generic. However, after reading the book, I discovered that her lessons applied to all serifs and sans serif typefaces and families, and that it was just another step of imagination - buoyed by a new understanding of type - to begin to create ornamental type.
For the price, this book is worth its weight in gold for anyone who wants to learn more about how type works as a stand-alone design or as a design element within a larger format. Highly recommended for students and for the working designer.
Author Karen Cheng, associate professor at the University of Washington's Visual Communication Design Program in Seattle, teaches type design and typography. The lessons that she includes in her book are so simple that you can understand the type designer's process almost overnight. Cheng states, "There is no single, `correct' process for creating a typeface. The methodologies of individual designers are as unique and varied as the designs themselves."
From this starting point, Cheng proceeds to explain how a typeface is developed, and then provides examples and diagrams that demonstrate visual principles, type construction, and optical illusions that affect typeface uniformity. She creates a step-by-step process through letters, numbers, and punctuation and accents, all developed through a variety of methods from sketching to vector graphics.
While Cheng does include history of type and foundries in her narratives, the emphasis is on type development. The only problem that you might face is that Cheng focuses only on serif and sans serif faces, and these choices are generic. However, after reading the book, I discovered that her lessons applied to all serifs and sans serif typefaces and families, and that it was just another step of imagination - buoyed by a new understanding of type - to begin to create ornamental type.
For the price, this book is worth its weight in gold for anyone who wants to learn more about how type works as a stand-alone design or as a design element within a larger format. Highly recommended for students and for the working designer.
July 31, 2021
This book is great, but the name “Designing Type� is slightly misleading. It’s more of a reference of how each letter is typically built and relate to the other letters.
It’s a fantastic reference when you’re designing a specific letter and want to see how it was done in many classic fonts. I love how you can see, for example, how lowercase f and t relate in 7 different serif typefaces. So useful!
If you’re brand new and want to learn more about the process of building a typeface, I’d highly recommend the book “How to Create Typefaces: from sketch to screen� by Cristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer, and José Scaglione. This book is closer to a “Designing Type� in my opinion.
Get “Designing Type� as well. It’s a great reference! Just know it’s organized by alphabet, not by process.
It’s a fantastic reference when you’re designing a specific letter and want to see how it was done in many classic fonts. I love how you can see, for example, how lowercase f and t relate in 7 different serif typefaces. So useful!
If you’re brand new and want to learn more about the process of building a typeface, I’d highly recommend the book “How to Create Typefaces: from sketch to screen� by Cristóbal Henestrosa, Laura Meseguer, and José Scaglione. This book is closer to a “Designing Type� in my opinion.
Get “Designing Type� as well. It’s a great reference! Just know it’s organized by alphabet, not by process.
June 22, 2012
If you want to make you own typeface (font) this is the book that takes step by step. Even if you are interested in the minute detail of each letter, should the o be perfectly round or oval, this book is for you. It's a large format book and a feast for the eyes of those interested in font.
January 5, 2023
An amazing book that is exploding with type design knowledge. The attention to detail solely devoted to proportions is the main reason I bought it—and it does not disappoint. The pages on spacing are also incredibly valuable and will remain bookmarked forever.
If a third edition is released I hope a greater range of punctuation and diacritical marks are explored. Aside from that, it’s perfect.
If a third edition is released I hope a greater range of punctuation and diacritical marks are explored. Aside from that, it’s perfect.
April 21, 2025
There is some fascinating info in here, but this is really about "analyzing type". This probably would work better as a series of web pages since it's not the sort of material that you would just want to continuously read. The author is clearly an expert in the field, but the subject matter necessarily forces repetitious writing.
December 17, 2020
Loved the book, quite informative and demonstrative, enjoy having it, lot's of tips on letter building and comparison of types.
January 10, 2023
Marks & Symbols supremacy ❤️�
November 9, 2023
An in-depth book on how to properly design a typeface.
May 3, 2024
Un esencial para saber cómo diseñar una fuente tipográfica, conocer el motivo de las proprociones y las distintas opciones de creación que disponemos. Es verdaderamente útil, toda una herramienta.
October 31, 2009
Why didn't my art teachers make me read this years ago?
July 5, 2010
the only girl there is
and she just isn't.
and she just isn't.
Want to read
April 23, 2013I must read it !!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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