After becoming increasingly interested in typography, I felt I needed a book that set out the fundamentals. After doing some research, I found Thinking with Type: A critical guide for designers, writers, editors and students.

This book is divided into three main sections, Letter, Text and Grid. Starting off with a little history lesson on letterforms, leading into the anatomy of type with great examples along the way. It then goes into more detail, covering spacing and alignment, followed by layouts and grids.

Each section has real-world examples to draw upon and feels much more than just a theory book; it is more than that! The way the book is written makes you appreciate the effort that goes into great typesetting.

“Design is as much an act of spacing as an act of marking. The typographer’s art concerns not only the positive grain of letterforms, but the negative gaps between and around them.”

If you are a newcomer to typography and want to learn more, I highly recommend this as a great book to get started on. For a more in-depth book on type, many people recommend The Elements of Typographic Style, which is on my bookshelf and awaiting a read. Expect a review shortly!

Buy This Book if…

If you are looking to know your stem from your bowl, or your leading from your kerning this book covers it all, and all in a way that doesn’t feel at all technical. If you work with type, or just want to know more and don’t have a book on it yet—this is the one to get.