Of Books and Type

I don't typically make New Year's resolutions, but my resolve to read a lot more this year coincided with the month of January. I seem to be at a "quiet" point in my life at the moment where I have time to read. I am striving to read different genres, pushing myself out of my normal reading comfort zones. Fiction, non-fiction, classics, young authors . . . my reading so far this year has included all. Here I am between Harbach and Kafka, reading a graphic design book, specifically on typography. It is aptly titled Just My Type written by Simon Garfield.

I hadn't heard of this book, but it was given to me by my father who likely heard about it in The New York Times or on NPR. Both trusted sources for book recommendations. Lucky enough to go to a university whose graphic design program had a huge emphasis on typography, this book is right up my alley. I haven't yet finished this book, I actually just started reading it today, but am already finding it hard to put down.

Interesting facts are interspersed with antecdotes, quotes, and font examples. I was excited to finally learn the story behind the phrase, "mind your p's and q's." This phrase harkens back to a time of typesetting when "the compositor would still have to 'mind their ps and qs, so alike were they when each letter was dismantled from a block of type and then tossed back into the compartments of a tray.'" (Garfield, p. 23)

I also learned that Eric Gill who happens to be the creator of my favorite font, Joanna, was apparently a creep. I still like the font, but probably won't look at it the same way.

Whenever I design a printed piece for a client or myself, the type is always a priority. The font, the kerning, the leading, the layout are all so crucial. Just My Type mentions that "the most important questions when selecting type have become: Does it fit the role it was intended for? Does it get its message across? And does it add something of beauty to the world?" (Garfield, p. 61) I couldn't agree more.

In fact, the cover of the Chad Harbach novel I just finished exemplifies this notion: