The Geometry of Type

100 traditional and modern typefaces are explored in loving detail, with a full spread devoted to each. Characters are enlarged and annotated to reveal key features, anatomical details, and the finer, often-overlooked elements of type design. The book also shows how these attributes affect mood and readability.

Sidebar information lists the designer and foundry, the year of release and the different weights and styles available, and feature boxes explain the origins and best uses for each typeface. The full character set is shown, and the best letters for identification are highlighted.

Stephen Coles is a writer and typographer. After six years as creative director at FontShop in San Francisco, he now edits the websites Typographica, Fonts In Use and The Mid-Century Modernist. Stephen is a regular contributor to Print and Codex magazines, a Type Camp instructor and a member of the FontFont TypeBoard. He also contributed editorial content to the most recent edition of FontBook: Digital Typeface Compendium.
Erik Spiekermann founded MetaDesign, Germany’s largest design firm, in 1979 and FontShop in 1988; he now runs the design agency Edenspiekermann.