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August 13, 2012

Use Typography As Your Principal Instrument

Thoughts on Books

Author: Laurel Saville

Topics: Layouts, Type

"Typography is my principal instrument," says Victor Burton. "It is the only one that is specific to our profession alongside the architecture of the white page. A good project or book cover does not exist without good typography. And, the best image can be destroyed by wrong typography." Roberto De Vicq concurs. "Type is the only thing that is particular to graphic designers; you don't borrow it from the other arts."

So what makes good typography in a book? According to Michael Worthington, it's a combination of art and practicality, old and new.

"We try to walk a fine line between things that are expressive and connotative of the theme of the show or the artist's work," he says. "And then the other side is purely about functionality: how well a typeface is drawn, how well it functions on the page. We try to do both things. One of the ways we do this is to use a combination of typefaces and unusual things that you haven't seen together before. Some of it is about discovering new typefaces and rediscovering old typefaces that have been overlooked. We'll try to work something that's traditional and known with something designed just this year."

Source: 100 Habits of Successful Publication Designers

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