Designing and creating visually appealing typography is essential for any graphic designer. With the right typographic knowledge, you can make your designs stand out from the crowd and create stunning artwork. Choosing the right typography books is an essential part of learning how to effectively use typefaces in your design. Here is a selection of some of the best typography books for graphic designers to help them learn the ins and outs of typography.
Best Typography Books For Graphic Designers
| Rank | Product Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
|
1
 |
Non-Designer’s Design Book, The
|
9. 7
|
|
2
 |
Vintage Typography and Signage: For Designers, By Designers (Dover Pictorial Archive)
|
9. 5
|
|
3
 |
Type Rules: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography
|
9. 1
|
|
4
 |
Drop Caps: 100 Postcards (Jessica Hische Hand Lettered Postcards, Inspiring Gift for Graphic Designers)
|
8. 8
|
|
5
 |
Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers
|
8. 6
|
|
6
 |
Graphic Design Play Book: An Exploration of Visual Thinking (Logo, Typography, Website, Poster, Web, and Creative Design)
|
8. 2
|
|
7
 |
Non-Designer’s Design Book, The (Non Designer’s Design Book)
|
8. 0
|
|
8
 |
Designing with Type, 5th Edition: The Essential Guide to Typography
|
7 .7
|
|
9
 |
The Graphic Design Reference & Specification Book: Everything Graphic Designers Need to Know Every Day
|
7. 4
|
|
10
 |
Clothes For Language: A typography handbook for designers, authors and type lovers (Graphic Design for Beginners 2)
|
7. 2
|
1. Non-Designer’s Design Book, The
The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams is a must-have resource for anyone looking to create effective visuals. Whether you are a newbie or an experienced designer, Williams provides insights and tips that will help you create balanced, compelling visuals. She covers a range of topics such as color, typography, and composition, as well as practical advice on designing for print and the web. The writing style is straightforward yet highly informative, and the illustrations and examples help explain the concepts clearly. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in design, whether for professional or personal projects. Highly recommended!
- A comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of design, written for non-designers
- Includes in-depth explanations of design principles and how they can be applied
- Provides practical examples and exercises to help readers develop an understanding of design principles
- Offers advice on the most effective ways to use design in various contexts
- Features real-world case studies and examples to demonstrate the application of design principles
- Explains how to evaluate design outcomes and make informed decisions
2. Vintage Typography and Signage: For Designers, By Designers (Dover Pictorial Archive)
If you are looking for a great resource for typography and signage design, I can highly recommend Vintage Typography and Signage: For Designers, By Designers (Dover Pictorial Archive). This book provides a fantastic range of both vintage and contemporary typographic and signage designs that are sure to inspire any designer. The book includes a great selection of photographs, typefaces, and lettering styles, all of which have been carefully curated to provide a source of creative inspiration for all sorts of design projects. As a designer, I found this book to be an invaluable resource for creating unique, eye-catching designs. Highly recommended!
- A collection of royalty-free designs of vintage typography and signage
- Over 1,500 professional-quality images taken from authentic sources
- Includes signs and lettering from the late 1800s to early 1900s
- Suitable for a wide range of design projects
- Printable images with resolutions up to 600 DPI
3. Type Rules: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography
3. Type Rules: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography is an excellent resource for all graphic designers and typographers. It provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and practices of type design and layout, giving readers the tools needed to create successful, professional-looking layouts. The book covers topics such as font selection, typeface structure, basic concepts of design, and typographic hierarchy, among many others. The writing style is clear and concise, making it easy to understand even for those with no background in typography. The illustrations are helpful in providing visual explanations of concepts, and the use of sidebars to address specific topics is helpful in providing further explanation. Overall, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of typography and its application in design.
- Comprehensive Reference: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography includes a comprehensive reference guide to type rules and best practices.
- Step-by-Step Instructions: This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to use various typefaces to create stunning designs.
- Examples and Tips: This guide also includes examples and tips for selecting the right typeface for a design project.
- Detailed Illustrations: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography features detailed illustrations to aid in understanding type rules and best practices.
4. Drop Caps: 100 Postcards (Jessica Hische Hand Lettered Postcards, Inspiring Gift for Graphic Designers)
I recently purchased the 4. Drop Caps: 100 Postcards by Jessica Hische and I am so pleased with my purchase. The postcards are so beautifully lettered by hand and feature inspiring quotes from some of the greatest graphic designers. The postcards are perfectly sized for me to give as a gift, or even to send out to my friends. The quality of the paper is superb and I love the fact that I can frame them or pin them up on my wall. The postcards are a great way to show my appreciation for graphic design. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something special for the graphic designer in their life!
- Jessica Hische Hand-Lettered Postcards: Includes 100 postcards with hand-lettered designs by Jessica Hische.
- Inspiring Gift for Graphic Designers: Perfect gift for any graphic designer or lettering enthusiast.
- Drop Caps: Includes 100 unique postcards featuring drop-cap designs.
- High Quality Material: All postcards are printed on thick, premium quality cardstock.
5. Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers
Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers is an essential read for anyone who is interested in graphic design and wants to learn more about incorporating inclusivity and social justice into their practice. Written by designer and educator Carla Diana, the book is an easy-to-digest guide that teaches readers the basics of creating artwork that is sensitive to the intersections of identity, power, and privilege. Diana examines the history of design, provides tips for tackling projects in a more socially conscious way, and shares examples of work from talented designers who are doing inspiring and important work in the field. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to support equality and justice in design.
- Provides an introduction to the gender and racial implications of graphic design
- Outlines strategies for creating more inclusive and anti-racist designs
- Explains the importance of understanding power dynamics in design
- Discusses how to use design to support feminist causes
- Explores the nonbinary approaches to graphic design
6. Graphic Design Play Book: An Exploration of Visual Thinking (Logo, Typography, Website, Poster, Web, and Creative Design)
I recently read the Graphic Design Play Book: An Exploration of Visual Thinking, and I was impressed by the vast amount of knowledge and insight on display. The book covers a wide range of topics from logo and typography design to web and poster design. It provides a comprehensive overview of the various tools and techniques associated with graphic design, as well as examples of how to use them in creative and effective ways. The book is full of useful tips and tricks for the novice graphic designer, as well as inspiring ideas for the experienced designer. Overall, I found Graphic Design Play Book to be an enjoyable and informative read that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in graphic design.
- A comprehensive guide to visual thinking, exploring ideas behind logo, typography, website, poster, web, and creative design.
- Provides an in-depth look at logo and type design, website design, poster design, and other creative aspects of visual communication.
- Includes practical exercises and tips on visualizing concepts and developing a unique design aesthetic.
- Features case studies, interviews and commentary from leading graphic designers.
- Illustrated with examples from a range of projects, including logos, web sites, posters, and more.
- Written in an accessible, easy-to-follow style, suitable for both novice and experienced graphic designers.
7. Non-Designer’s Design Book, The (Non Designer’s Design Book)
I recently read the Non-Designer’s Design Book and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. The author, Robin Williams, provides a comprehensive overview of graphic design principles and techniques for the non-designer. This book is full of helpful tips and techniques to improve graphic design work, even for someone who may not have any design experience. The book also includes helpful exercises to practice the concepts, as well as plenty of references to other resources. It’s an excellent resource for someone just starting out with design and I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about graphic design.
- Easy to Understand: The Non-Designer’s Design Book is written in an easy-to-understand style, making it an ideal resource for beginners.
- Design Basics: This book covers the basics of graphic design, such as color theory, typography, balance, and contrast.
- Real-World Examples: The book includes real-world examples to demonstrate the principles of design and help readers put the concepts into practice.
- Detailed Illustrations: Detailed illustrations are included to help readers understand concepts more easily.
- Tips and Techniques: Tips and techniques for design projects are provided, as well as advice on how to improve existing designs.
- Hands-On Practice: The book includes exercises to help readers practice the concepts and gain more confidence in their design skills.
- Updated for 2021: This book has been updated with the latest design trends and technologies to ensure readers stay up-to-date.
8. Designing with Type, 5th Edition: The Essential Guide to Typography
Designing with Type, 5th Edition: The Essential Guide to Typography is an incredible resource for anyone looking to learn more about typography. It covers a wide range of topics including type anatomy, type selection, type pairing, and legibility. The book also discusses more advanced topics like font licensing, web font formats, and accessibility. The book is full of examples and diagrams that make it easier to understand and retain the material. It also includes an online resource with additional information and exercises. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to become a typography expert.
- Comprehensive guide to the principles of typography
- Provides detailed information on subjects such as legibility, readability and design
- In-depth coverage of type classification systems and typeface design
- Explains the use of type and lettering in advertising, digital media and other forms of communication
- Includes a glossary of typographic terms and historical references
- Updated with the latest technologies and tools
- Provides practical tips and examples from experienced professionals
- Includes an index for quickly finding relevant information
9. The Graphic Design Reference & Specification Book: Everything Graphic Designers Need to Know Every Day
I recently purchased The Graphic Design Reference & Specification Book and it was one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. It is an invaluable resource for any graphic designer. It covers the fundamentals of design, from color and typography to layout and printing, and provides detailed specifications for all of the commonly used software programs. It also includes a comprehensive list of design symbols, which are perfect for making quick references during a project. The book is clearly written and easy to follow, making it perfect for both experienced designers and those just starting out. I highly recommend The Graphic Design Reference & Specification Book for anyone looking for a comprehensive guide to graphic design.
- A comprehensive and easy-to-use resource for designers, featuring up-to-date information on color, type, layout, file formats and other essential design elements.
- Detailed technical guidance on working with print and digital materials.
- A Quick Reference Guide featuring over 500 commonly used terms and definitions.
- A section on online and digital design, including tips on creating effective web graphics and working with interactive media.
- Over 30 detailed tutorials on topics ranging from logo design to typography.
- Hundreds of color illustrations and diagrams to clarify concepts.
- Troubleshooting advice for common design problems.
- A glossary of design-related terms.
- Authoritative, up-to-date information from experts in the field.
10. Clothes For Language: A typography handbook for designers, authors and type lovers (Graphic Design for Beginners 2)
Clothes For Language: A typography handbook for designers, authors and type lovers (Graphic Design for Beginners 2) is an essential handbook for anyone interested in typography. It provides an overview of type design, font selection and usage, and provides helpful tips and advice for creating beautiful typography. The book includes detailed instructions and an extensive selection of exercises, making it a must-have for graphic designers, authors and type lovers. The book is well-illustrated and written in an easy-to-follow manner, which makes it perfect for beginners. It provides a comprehensive overview of typography, from basic concepts to advanced techniques, and is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to get started with typography. Highly recommended for anyone interested in typography.
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