Thames and Hudson Ltd: The Field Guide to Typography - Typefaces in the Urban Landscape

The Field Guide to Typography explores and explains the myriad typefaces that we see around us in our day-to-day lives, from airplane liveries to computer screens, from billboard hoardings to signage systems. It presents over 120 typefaces – old and new, common and unusual – with photographic references to help ‘font spotters’ identify particular typefaces in the wild. Accompanying background information explains the origin, usage and key features of each typeface, and ‘Field Facts’ provide little-known nuggets of information to expand your typographical awareness. Attractive and informative, The Field Guide to Typography is a unique visual reference for novice font fans and experienced designers alike, and a comprehensive celebration of our expanding typographic world.

Features:

• A collection of 150 typefaces – old and new, common and unusual – found in our modern urban environment.
• Lightly based on traditional field guides, each spread examines one typeface and provides budding ‘font spotters’ with all the information they need to be able to recognize it in the real world.
• The typefaces are divided into six categories for easy reference, and each spread provides photographic examples, a short history, key identification features, and a ‘Not to be confused with’ heading that acts as a cross-reference to similar-looking typefaces.

Contents:

Foreword • The Field Guide • Serif • Sans Serif • Display • Script • Symbols and Dingbats • Further Reading

Author:

Peter Dawson (www.gradedesign.com ) has over 19 years experience in the UK design arena and co-founded his practice, Grade, in 2000. He is a Fellow, and former Chair, of the International Society of Typographic Designers and has also acted as a visiting typography lecturer at a number of Universities.