ALL THINGS TYPOGRAPHIC | JULY 2016

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Optical and Size-specific Fonts

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(Re)Introducing Tobias Frere-Jones & Mallory

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Why Handwriting Is Still Essential in the Keyboard Age

How Typography Can Save Your Life

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A Conversation with Milton Glaser (video)

>> Type Rules! The designer's guide to professional typography

Optical and Size-specific Fonts

The phrase "one-size-fits-all" is a misnomer when it comes to digital fonts. While some can be used at a broad range of sizes, most cannot. In order to expand the range of sizes a typeface can be successfully used at, some type designers have created optically-sized fonts. These are size-specific versions (sometimes called opticals) with subtle adjustments made to each variant in order to improve and maximize legibility, spacing, and overall appearance. Read on...

(Re)Introducing Tobias Frere-Jones & Mallory

He's back! Two years after launching his new foundry Frere-Jones Type, Tobias Frere-Jones has released his first typeface family, Mallory. After many years working for Font Bureau in Boston, and then being partner in Hoefler & Frere-Jones from 1999 to 2014, Tobias is now working for himself. "This marks the start of a new venture, and the continuation of the care and craft that I've practiced for many years." Read on...

Why Handwriting Is Still Essential

Do children in a keyboard world need to learn old-fashioned handwriting? There is a tendency to dismiss handwriting as a nonessential skill. And beyond the emotional connection adults may feel to the way we learned to write, there is a growing body of research on what the normally developing brain learns by forming letters on the page, in printed or manuscript format as well as in cursive. Read on...

How Typography Can Save Your Life

After decades of silently shouting at the top of its lungs, the National Weather Service recently announced that it's going to stop publishing its forecasts and weather warnings in ALL CAPS. Beginning May 11, for the first time ever, we'll start seeing mixed-case letters. Read on...

A Conversation with Milton Glaser (video)

"If there are two questions I hate, it's 'Where do I find inspiration?' and 'Can you tell me about your process?'" said legendary designer Milton Glaser shortly before this interview with Debbie Millman began. They then hastily crossed those questions off the list. Millman is a design heavyweight in her own right, as well as an educator, an author, a speaker, a podcaster, and much more! Check it out...

Type Rules! The designer's guide to professional typography, 4th edition

Type Rules! The designer's guide to professional typography, 4th edition is a practical guide to the principles and practices of typography. From the fundamentals to cutting-edge applications, this edition has everything today's serious designer needs to use type effectively.

Type Rules! includes topics such as how to select the appropriate type for the job, setting type like a pro, how to avoid common mistakes, how to design a typeface, as well as how to fully harness the typographic power of InDesign, with new coverage of their latest version. It also includes dozens of exercises to reinforce the understanding and application of the contents. Details and reviews here...

"I've purchased and read just about every book on typography written over the last 25 years. Ilene Strizver's Type Rules! is one of the best. It's a book that will prove its value time and time again."

- Allan Haley, Director of Words and Letters, Monotype Imaging

"Type Rules! is a must-have book for students and professionals alike. I highly recommend it."

- Prof. Ed Benguiat, world-renowned type designer and educator

FREE COPIES FOR EDUCATORS: Evaluation copies are provided free to qualified academics and professionals for review purposes. Details here...

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NOTE: In opposition to my constant typographic badgering, you might notice the lack of

smart typographic conventions in this emailing, including smart quotes, en and em dashes. This is due to the limitations of the email marketing service currently being used.