So you love type. What designer does not? Type is the jewel in the design crown. It is also the tool that makes us literate. People who write about type are to literacy what the disciples were to the New Testament. And yes, there is a religious intensity about type that type geeks cultivate.
One of the greatest writers in the type bible was (and is) Beatrice Warde (1900–1969). She was an American typographic expert who was the publicity manager for the Monotype Corporation, and editor of the Monotype Recorder and Newsletter for most of her career. She coined the “Crystal Goblet” notion that type is a transparent vessel for meaning.
Her writing could be very accessible but also decidedly for the type nerd vs. the general public. I found this curious manuscript on the history of type published by Common Ground, for which she wrote an introduction. The typewriting is a little hard to read but the words are gems that make it worth it.
The 2017 PRINT RDA: Final Deadline MONDAY!
Enter the most respected competition in graphic design—now open to both pros and students—for a chance to have your work published, win a pass to HOW Design Live, and more. 2017 Judges: Aaron Draplin / Jessica Hische / Pum Lefebure / Ellen Lupton / Eddie Opara / Paula Scher. Student work judges: PRINT editorial & creative director Debbie Millman and PRINT editor-in-chief Zachary Petit.
Draplin image: Leah Nash. Hische: Helena Price. Lupton: Michelle Qureshi. Scher: Ian Roberts.