The practice of typography has been radically transformed in the digital age, and this book is set to become the classic introduction to the field. The authors emphasize the practical concerns of designing with type: how to maximize legibility; identify the elements that make up a letterform; organize the reading space; design for both printed and screen-based output; establish a hierarchy of elements; and work with different grid systems.

Above all, the book emphasizes the importance of context in its broadest sense and of understanding the related systems, such as audience, technology and language, within which typography functions.

Readers are introduced to the fundamentals of pre-digital typographic technology, and learn to situate their work within a history of type design stretching back to Gutenberg and beyond. But they are also encouraged to think critically about typography: how are messages encoded in type and decoded by the reader? How do production constraints affect design practice? Do standard measurement systems aid or impede the designer?

Primers to each chapter offer concise definitions of key terms, and the text is illustrated throughout with hundreds of inspirational examples of typographic design. These key features ensure that the book will be used as an essential reference tool, as well as encouraging students to be creative and exploratory in their own practice.