Ahhh Typography – it’s a beautiful thing! From the flow and arrangement of type on a page to the mesmerizing curves of ampersands, typography is hands down my favorite element of graphic design, and if handled with care can really make or break a design.
I find, and I’m sure many would agree, typography is often what most designers struggle with in the beginning, including myself. Below are 15 typography books (with links to purchase) that I own and personally recommend that has helped me learn, understand, appreciate and absolutely love typography and type layout.
Thinking with Type
Getting It Right With Type
1,000 Type Treatments
Designing with Type
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type
Layout
Made with FontFont
Comment to win a FREE copy! Continue reading below.
Making and Breaking the Grid
New Vintage Type
28th Type Directors Club Annual
29th Type Directors Club Annual
Typology
U&lc (Uppercase & Lowercase)
FREE ‘MADE WITH FONTFONT’ BOOK GIVEAWAY
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Mark Batty Publisher is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses.
HOW TO WIN
Comment below with your favorite typography book or a book on typography you’ve been wanting to purchase.
One lucky winner, chosen by random, will be announced on Friday, June 19 so make sure to check back to see if you won!
I’m currently reading Designing with Type, I love Typography. thanks for sharing this collection added some of them to my wish list
Cheers
Alex
I have several typography books on my wishlist, but the one at the very top, of course, is Robert Bringhurst’s The Elements of Typographic Style.
I had actually been wanting to buy Getting It Right With Type! But all of these books will definitely make it to my Amazon wish list!
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type - this is my favorite book.
Grid Systems and Making and breaking the grid are both in my library. Great reads. Would like to add another to the list.
I own Thinking with Type. It definitely deserves to be on top of the list! Great collection Brian.
Making and Breaking the Grid is a great book
Nice list by the way, thanks!
There is one serious omosion here, Elements of Typographic Style by Richard Bringhurst. That book should always be on a type list. It is a serious read, in a good way. But as for Thinking with Type, I really, really liked that book. Especially how she used examples of type when describing what (p 37 & 56 for example) she wanted to say, rather than sticking with the common text font the book was written in.
Thanks for the list, good stuff to RT.
As soon as I get my next paycheque I’m investing in some of these! I’ve seen the first few at bookstores, but I really would like to get “Typology” :p. Thanks Brian!
The book Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton is absolutely great. I own one, and with The elements of typographic style by Robert Bringhurst, it’s my typography bible.
The rest looks very good and I would like to point to this free e-book by Jan Middendorp, “Dutch Type”, available at Google Books
http://books.google.com/books?id=sR9g5xPPJVQC&printsec=frontcover
Thanks Brian for the opportunity to win the awesome MwFF book!
Pretty great list! I’ve been meaning to pick up Layout for a while, I should get around to doing that!
I want to own all, and sadly don’t own any! I have checked ‘thinking with type’ out from my local library several times though.
I’ve ordered ‘The Elements of Typographic Style’, hopefully its as good as reviewed. I have ‘Making and Breaking the Grid’, its pretty awesome. Thanks for this collection.
Don’t forget “Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works” by Erik Spiekermann & E.M. Ginger. I’ve not read any of these others yet to compare against, but it’s definitely one I reference from time to time. I’ll be checking these out though, thanks.
Making and Breaking the Grid is by far my favorite, but I learned a lot from Designing With Type. New Vintage Type looks AWESOME! Thanks for all your great suggestions.
Lindsey
The Elements of Typographic Style can start out as a dense read, but it works after multiple reads.
I actually do not have a favorite typography book, but I’d love to learn more about it!
Thanks!
Nice list for inspiration! I like vintage and retro so New Vintage Type is my choice.
Agree with
«There is one serious omosion here, Elements of Typographic Style by Richard Bringhurst. That book should always be on a type list. It is a serious read, in a good way.»
I own it and «Typography. A Guide to Setting Perfect Type» http://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Manual-Typography-Setting-Perfect/dp/0321127307
I’d like to purchase «Thinking with Type».
Luck by Chance
Let see
Thinking with Type is by far one of my favourite typography books, it’s a thorough introduction while easily digested with many visual examples.
Nice list of books in the article, there are a couple there I’ve not heard of so I’ll be sure to check them out.
I have “The Elements of Typographic Style” and “Making And Breaking The Grid” on my bookshelf and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn typography. I also would love to have ‘Stop Stealing Sheep…’ and I think it’s on my to-buy list right now.
Randomly found ‘Helvetica: Homage to a Typeface’. Quite geeky, but quite interesting!
My #1 book about typography is “The Elements of Typographic Style” by R. Bringhurst. Great book! Wondering if “Made with FontFont” will be my #2 ;-).
I have the classic Design with Type by Carl Dair, but now I want to try some of these others, especially endorsed by other commenters
Thanks for the excellent list.
Good book
Thinking with Type has been on my reading list for a while but I love vintage so I’ll be adding New Vintage Type along with several others…
Thanks!
i saw “designing with type” in a bookshop and wanted it! (got no money though XD)
By the way, the title of the giveaway book is so cool! XD
i have the Logo, Font & Lettering Bible and I love it. I definitely would love more excellent font books in my collection though!
It’s been a while now that I’m looking at the book From Gutenberg to Open Type. I think that it would be my next purchase.
I really love your list too. Those books seems interesting!
Thanks
I’m just in it for the freebies.
I do both video and graphic work, and fonts make or break both, so I’d be psyched to have this book! But after reading the other comments, it sounds like I’ve got a LOT of reading to do regardless!
Thinking with type is one of my favorite type books but can’t get enough typography books as far as I am concerned. Thanks for the give away!
The two I’ve really been wanting are the ones on grids and type. Type is one of my weakest areas in design.
“Making and Breaking the Grid” has been in my library for quite a while.
What a great list !
Although i love Ellen Lupton, the book that got me seriously hooked on the beauty of letters was “Hand Job” by Michael Perry http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Job-Catalog-Michael-Perry/dp/1568986262
I guess that is because i love to draw so much, so this is the right approach for me
I’ve wanted to purchas the book “Typology” for a while, but just haven’t gotten the chance.
I’d love to have any of these books on my shelves. I find I have more books on technology than the fun stuff - design, and these would be a terrific place to start my new collection. Typography is one of those things that sets good designs apart from great ones, so I’m really excited to learn more about it. Thanks for the great post, and look forward to hearing who the giveaway winner is (especially if it’s me).
Brian,
Great list. I would add these two:
Stop Stealing Sheep and find out how type works: http://www.adobepress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=0201703394
http://www.youworkforthem.com/product.php?sku=P0004
Ellen Lupton’s book is awesome. I used that recently in a design class and definitely enjoyed it. Pick up a copy if you have a chance.
Thinking with Type was the first book purely on Typography that I read - and really laid everything out clearly. Great read for someone who wants to understand what makes type type, and not a font.
My favorite book is “A Type Primer” by John Kane. I like how it is laid out, how I can flip through it to easily find something I might night due to large type illustrations, and how it does not bore me when I read it.
Mostly though I think it’s because it was my Typography class textbook and I now associate it with a very fun instructor to have.
Hey Brian, I second Ant’s recommendation for Thinking With Type:
http://www.papress.com/other/thinkingwithtype/index.htm
Oh, I would love all of these books! Thanks for sharing this great list. I really would like to learn more and could definitely use the help from great books like these. I want to really understand this art I love, but I just sort of wing it right now! I have been wanting to get New Vintage Type for a while now, that would have to be my favorite from this list. Thanks again.
“Thinking with Type” was loaned to me recently by a friend. I can’t say I’m passionate about fonts, but my appreciation for them has been growing.
Thinking with Type is one of my favs…Maybe I’ll win a copy of this book and I can expand my collection
I love Ellen Lupton’s book and have been referring to it for years now.
I have on my shelf, Grid Systems, Layout and Making & Breaking the Grid, I love them all for different reasons. Looking forward to checking out the others in the list for my next purchase.
I just picked up Thinking With Type and it’s a good buy. I’d also recommend adding Elements of Typographic Style to the list. It’s a must-own.
I’d love the Made with FontFont book!
I love Thinking With Type but what I’ve been meaning to buy is Hand Job. Made with FontFont would be awesome to have!
My Amazon wishlist has now been updated! Of the 15 I’ve only read ‘Designing with Type’. If only the local library had more books on Type and Design. sigh…
“Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst is always a classic and always the one I go back to at some point. But, having more is always a good thing…
I’d love to get the Made with FontFont book!
Sweeet what a good giveaway
I just borrowed Thinking with Type from a friend and can’t wait to get into it. Winning a typography book for myself would be nice too!
I love Thinking with Type!
Lupton’s Book is a classic. We used this is school and it seems to do a pretty solid job. Designing with type is also good. I’ve been wanting to check out U&lc.
I’d love to have New Vintage Type or Layout…
My bible - always recommended:
Robert Bringhurst - “The elements of typographic style”
If i could choose one, will be “The Elements of Typographic Style”
I’d agree with Jeffrey on the ‘Stop stealing sheep….’ choice.
And I have to say this one looks pretty intriguing! Don’t own it but quite fancy a peek…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fuck-Off-Typography-Gerard-Saint/dp/1903391210/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245088422&sr=8-8
They’d all be welcome but since I have to choose, I ask for “Typology (Type Design from the Victorian Era to the Digital Age)”!
have and love the lupton book. the accompanying web site is great, too!
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type is my favorite one.
I’ll have to agree with several others here that my favorite is “The Elements of Typographic Style.” I also own “Thinking With Type,” but am curious to check out some of the others listed here. Thanks for the list!
I would love to have all of these books!!!
I too own thinking with type and making and breaking the grid. Both of these have been of great help in my design career thus far. I also have to note that elements of typographic style was the first book ever assigned in my typography classes, and I have referred to it time and time again. While Lupton’s book is fantastic, Bringhurst really gets into the nitty gritty, plus you can tell the passion he has for type in the way he describes typographic concepts.
Fontfont looks awesome btw! good luck everyone.
I’ve always been a fan of Making and Breaking the Grid.
House Industries. My Favorite !! It should be on the list !!
i wanna book.
I really want to buy ‘Making and breaking the grid’..
but maybe i’ll have ‘made with fontfont’?
useful site, anyway!
I bought Thinking With Type by Ellen Lupton because it was required for one of my college courses, and I love it! This book really showed me how to better understand how to use and apply type. Other typography books I have include A Topographic Workbook and The Complete Manual of Typography, but I’ve found Ellen Lupton’s book to be my favorite. I plan to buy more in the future, starting with 1,000 Type Treatments only because its cover art caught my attention once while browsing Amazon, but I’d still really like to win this book to add to my ever-growing design books mini-library.
Layout and Grid Systems are great “rut-blockers” — they always provide alternatives to the usual grids designers tend to follow. Great list.
I own absolutely no type books. I just don’t know what book is the best one to start with! Anyhoo, I wanna book. =D
I *am* practicing typography though … and Feel Script is just *so* beautiful! And I have 2 subscriptions to font newsletters. I think I’ll bookmark this page so I can get these books myself.
I must say, the only book I have bought in the last six months in the Logo, Font and Lettering Bible. I pretty much carry it with me everywhere the interwebz is unavailable! Would love a copy of ‘Made with FontFont’ too
May have to buy a bigger big though by the sounds of the reviews!
I love the grid system book. My fave reference. Thanks for sharing this post.
The grid systems book is great, good list Brian!
I love Thinking with Type! And I’ll be sure to check out some of those other ones too.
Taught a course using “Designing With Type” as main textbook.
Clearly written with extremely creative assignments.
I would love a copy of “Designing with Type”
Awesome post man. I really like how you showcased the books. I agree with typography being hard at first but I think the more in depth you get the more it drives your designs.
The grid systems book is one of the most useful thing i’ve ever read, highly recommended
Awesome list of books! These are all such great reads, I’ll be using “Thinking With Type” as the course book for the Typography I class I’ll be teaching this fall. Eric Gill’s “Essay on Typography” is also a great little book filled with insight.
These books look great, especially Ellen Lupton’s Thinking With Type. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on FontBook, 4th Edition though.
woot! another give away!
i couldn’t find thinking with type here in my country
i would love have a copy of it
I’d say “Stop Stealing Sheep” is definitely worth being on this list!
Designing with Type is a keeper. Brings me back many many years ago when I handset movable type in a compositor’s “key” pecking pieces of metal type from a California Job Case. That was really “designing with Type”
Bill Frieday
That book looks awesome. I would love to win a copy of ‘Made with FontFont’. Your blog is really nice and that looks like a great list of typography books. I was looking at ‘New Vintage Type’ the other day. Ellen Lupton’s books are great too.
I’m with a lot of the people here. Robert Bringhurst’s The Elements of Typographic Style is one I’m desperate to read.
James
All these books are fantastic and must-haves. This is one I own in my library and it’s been like a bible for typography. The Complete Manual of Typography by Jim Felici.
Great selection of books, oddly enough I’ve just picked up two of them and am reading them on my commute to and from the office.
“Getting it Right with Type: The Dos and Don’ts of Typography ” is great reference material!
I actually have Thinking with Type, it’s an easy read and helpful for up and coming young designers. I read it while I was a sophomore in college.
You forgot to add “The Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst. It goes beyond with some of the books you mentioned.
How I wish I could have even one of them. I teach typography in one of our school here in the Philippines and we lack books of this kind for teaching, Hope some of you can donate to us. Even electronic version would be highly appreciated.
ive been wanting to buy “getting it right with type”. sometimes people go overboard with too crazy of a type. i appreciate the simplicity of certain types and the impact it has on design.
Grid Systems changed the way I thought about type when I read it. I am going to read Designing with Type next to evaluate it as a potential text book for a class I am teaching.
Thinking with Type is an excellent book! In an age of rogue free fonts, loosening design standards, and spread of web type, Ms. Lupton’s book pushes back on (untrained) designers who select type solely by intuition. This book explains very well how to properly and effectively spec type.
1000 Type Treatments is a good source for inspiration although with design-based blogs such as your blog, Brian, popping up all over the web, buying a book such as this is hardly worth the investment.
Between Making and Breaking the Grid and Grid Systems, the latter is more foundation — content you learn in school. The former takes that foundation and shows you how to use the grid in new and interesting ways. If you already work with grids, get …”Breaking”…
Good list, Brian. You should see my wishlist!
very cool list! thanks! I’ve read about a lot of good reviews about Thinking with Type.
I’m shocked that The Elements of Typographic Style didn’t make the list, that’s my typography bible. I have a few of the other books on the list but none of the others come anywhere near the thorough understanding of type that Robert Bringhurst’s book does. Good round-up though, thanks for this post.
These books all look very interesting and have inspired me! I think the one I’m most wanting to purchase is Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type.
My favorite of all time is Grid Systems by Josef Muller Brockman. It’s been around for ages, is awesome, and is a classic!
I agree with some of the others, Designing with Type, Elements of Typographic Style, Thinking with Type, and Stop Stealing Sheep, are really good, and also some favorites.
Thank you for posting this!
I’m just starting to get into graphic design, and this book list helps a lot!
I have read all of them. Taught the courses, both at BFA and MFA level
and am putting finishing touches on what I think will be the best of all.
Wooow great books there! Actually i wanted to purchase Typomofo : Type Morphing into Forms published by Page One..
Favorite book with typography: The Story Of Graphic Design in France by MIchel Wlassikoff. It covers typography in France between the 1500’s and the 1880’s. Amazing book, highly recommended.
AND! Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far by Stefan Sagmeister.
Thinking with type was our text for class last year….taking Typography again and really need to improve my use of type and could use a little more love for it as well. I’d love the free book!
Making and breaking the grid is definitely one that I want to get, but now that you posted so many new one’s for me I don’t know what to choose!
Thanks for the list Brian. You had some ones on here that I’d never seen before and am actually a little glad you left off some of the popular ones like “Elements…”
You’ve also helped me add to my holiday wish list. Many thanks!
The Non-Designers Type Book- I like Robin Williams style, and its a good, easy to follow book that I really think any designer should have in their library.
I actually have Design with Type. I’d bought that when I was a student at Parsons in NYC for a course about book illustration. Yeah, way back when, when they just started offering computer design courses for creatives…
Time has past and I’m no longer in NYC, but in Germany. If I could, I would buy almost everything that Verlag Hermann Schmidt has to offer. I love their book «Gestaltungsraster« which is a gorgeous book about grids, their »Schriftmischmusterbuch« which is a compendium of typefaces in different weights printed on pages that are cut into thirds, (kind of like the childrens picture books where you can mix the head to the body to the feet) so that you can mix your type, which is what the title means. Its affordable and fun. They have a Typodarium, a daily calendar for typeface fans… I could go on and on.
Made with FontFont is definitely a book that I’d go for.
Making and Breaking the Grid looks like a must-read. Thanks for the giveaway.
Lovin’ the list. One of my faves is Lupton’s “Thinking w/type”. “Making and Breaking the Grid” is on my wish-list.
Some other books I’ve enjoyed or am currently enjoying is Typography Workbook / Samara / Rockport pub and Typographic Design: Form and Function / Carter, Day, Meggs / Wiley pub. Check’em.
Thanks Brian. I’ve become a big fan of ya!
Not a book that would be used the same way as the above mentioned, but I just like it a lot. I’m sure that anyone who is into type would love to own this book.
The book is called:
The Ten Commandments of Typography / Type Heresy: Breaking the Ten Commandments of Typography.
Book was written and designed by Paul Felton.
The foreword was written by Jonathan Barnbrook.
More images here:
http://www.paulfelton.co.uk/index.php?/projects/ten-commandments-of-type/
Buy the book here (it’s just got a different cover then the one I have… don’t know if there’s any other difference).
http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Commandments-Typography-Type-Heresy/dp/1858943558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263916285&sr=8-1
Thanks for another great post! =)
Dear All,
But I personally like The_Elements_of_Typographic_Style…