The Anatomy of Type: A Graphic Guide to 100 Typefaces
Author(s): Stephen Coles (Author), Erik Spiekermann (Foreword)
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: November 13, 2012
Language: English
Print length: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 9780062203120
ISBN-13: 9780062203120
Book Description
A visual treat for anyone who loves fonts and typographic design.
The Anatomy of Type explores one hundred traditional and modern typefaces in loving detail, with a full spread devoted to each entry. The full character set from each typeface is shown, and the best letters for identification are enlarged and annotated, revealing key features, anatomical details, and the finer, often-overlooked elements of type design. Containing in-depth information on everything from the designer and foundry, the year of release, and the different weights and styles available, The Anatomy of Type is more than a reference guide to the intricacies of typeface design. It is a visual send-up of some of the world’s most beloved typefaces, beautifully displayed in vibrant color.
Editorial Reviews
Review
Coles does a wonderful job of initiating the layman to the field of modern typography. — Michael Stasiak, Print Magazine
The Anatomy of Type provides a glorious opportunity to taxonimize another everyday visual encounter. As your knowledge accumulates, and your vocabulary grows, you, too, will begin to appraise these fonts with a critical eye. You will gaze at them alongside Coles, nodding at his insights. — SlateThe Anatomy of Type is a surprisingly accessible book that will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in typography. An easy-to-use guide that rewards both light browsing and intensive study. — John Peck, Diesel’s “Beautiful Gift Books 2012”
… a down-to-earth but playful and helpful tool for users in search of a distinctive typographic tone – a cautiously plotted but worthwhile attempt to shake type classifications to the core. — Sébastien Morlighem,
Eye Magazine
The Anatomy of Type does for type users what Gray’s Anatomy does for pre-med students: it explains characteristic differences in body language — in this case the Western alphabet’s most muscular typefaces. — Steven Heller, The New York Times
From the Author
Students and professionals in any creative field can benefit from a good typographic eye. The Anatomy of Type (The Geometry of Type in the UK) is all about looking more closely at letters. Through visual diagrams and practical descriptions, you’ll learn how to distinguish between related typefaces and see how the attributes of letterforms (such as contrast, detail, and proportion) affect the mood, readability, and use of each typeface. Nutritional value aside, the spreads full of big type are nice eye candy, too. The 100 typefaces featured in the book are hand-picked by the author for their functionality and stylistic relevance in today’s design landscape. Along with several familiar faces (Garamond, Bodoni, Gill Sans, Helvetica), you’ll also discover contemporary fonts that are less common — and often more useful — than the overused classics.
From the Back Cover
A visual treat for anyone who loves fonts and typographic design.
The Anatomy of Type explores one hundred traditional and modern typefaces in loving detail, with a full spread devoted to each entry. The full character set from each typeface is shown, and the best letters for identification are enlarged and annotated, revealing key features, anatomical details, and the finer, often-overlooked elements of type design. Containing in-depth information on everything from the designer and foundry, the year of release, and the different weights and styles available, The Anatomy of Type is more than a reference guide to the intricacies of typeface design. It is a visual send-up of some of the world’s most beloved typefaces, whimsically displayed in vibrant color.
About the Author
Stephen Coles is a writer and typographer living in Oakland and Berlin. After six years at FontShop San Francisco as a creative director, he now publishes the websites Typographica, Fonts In Use, and The Mid-Century Modernist. He is also a regular contributor to Print and Codex magazines, a Type Camp instructor, and a member of the FontFont TypeBoard.
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”Book”,”name”:”The Anatomy of Type: A Graphic Guide to 100 Typefaces”,”image”:”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416463wzofL._SX342_SY445_FMwebp_.jpg”,”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Stephen Coles (Author), Erik Spiekermann (Foreword)”},”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Harper”},”datePublished”:”November 13, 2012″,”isbn”:”9780062203120″,”numberOfPages”:256,”inLanguage”:”English”,”description”:”A visual treat for anyone who loves fonts and typographic design.The Anatomy of Type explores one hundred traditional and modern typefaces in loving detail, with a full spread devoted to each entry. The full character set from each typeface is shown, and the best letters for identification are enlarged and annotated, revealing key features, anatomical details, and the finer, often-overlooked elements of type design. Containing in-depth information on everything from the designer and foundry, the year of release, and the different weights and styles available, The Anatomy of Type is more than a reference guide to the intricacies of typeface design. It is a visual send-up of some of the world’s most beloved typefaces, beautifully displayed in vibrant color.”,”url”:”https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062203126/”,”bookFormat”:”http://schema.org/EBook”,”additionalType”:”http://schema.org/PDF”,”fileSize”:”20 MB”,”accessibilityFeature”:[“login required”,”member access only”],”accessibilitySummary”:”PDF version available to authenticated members only. File size: 20 MB.”}