Reviews (12)

A good book to learn on
I've had to learn InDesign for a couple freelance projects, and I felt this book was concise and a wonderful reference guide.The fact it is not just drowning in text on each page (ahem...Peachpit Press) made it easier to skim and find what you need in a short amount of time.
Very useful and user friendly
The Classroom in a Book for Adobe InDesign.cs2 was well organized and easy to use.
New full color edition is a great way to learn
I have been learning Adobe's applications via their Classroom In A Book series. I find there is just nothing better out there.After all it is the official training program from Adobe written by Adobe experts - what else is there to say! The book itself is made of quality paper and is beautifully layed out. They give text and graphics ample space on each page, nothing is cramped and everything is arranged in a logical order. The instructions are precise and given in small enough steps with lots of graphics and pictures along the way so you won't get lost. In fact, each chapter is easy and interesting to follow and it helps that the projects are beautifully designed layouts. You'll create magazine pages, newsletter pages, a restaurant menu, a CD insert etc. that you look forward to finish and that will leave you inspired. Some chapters encourage you to also "Explore On Your Own" and each chapter features a review and answers section to test your aquired knowledge. Maybe you have to revisit some of the earlier chapters because you may have forgotten some details once you've been plugging away for a while, but that simply speaks for the volume you will have to absorb since InDesign is afterall a complex application. Having said that, everybody should feel very confident to use and further explore InDesign upon completion of the book. It includes a CD with 15 lessons and Quicktime tutorial movies.
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Subjects:  1. Adobe InDesign    2. Adobe InDesign (Computer software)    3. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Desktop Publishing - General    8. Interactive & Multimedia    9. Typography    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    11. Desktop publishing software   

Reviews (16)

Typography
Please if anyone ever needs a type book, this one is perfect. It is a helpful wonderful book.

Well written, informative book
Worth reading if you need to learn more about type, layout grids, and popular fonts of the past decade.

Simple, Clear, and Logical
This book is possibly the best design education text I've seen. Everything is kept simple, and clear. Ellen Lupton's categorizing of typeface styles, for example, is logical and all inclusive, yet still a simple breakdown of the vast variety of typefaces. She is easier to understand than Robert Bringhurst in "The Elements of Typographic Style," something crucial to any budding designer. This book will serve you well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Graphic Arts - General    4. Graphic design (Typography)    5. Type and type-founding    6. Typography    7. Architecture / Design & Drafting    8. Graphic design    9. Non-Classifiable    10. Typographie   

Reviews (22)

History of Graphic Design
The book is in wonderful condition and is filled with very interesting material.

The Man Behind the book
I was one of Philip Meggs students at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Our class was the first to use the first edition of this book as a classroom textbook for his History of Graphic Design class. He was a wonderful storyteller, with a true passion for graphic design. And more than that was the obvious joy he had in sharing that knowledge and whimsical annecdotes in his own style of humor. Philip Meggs was an exceptional man that will truly be missed.

Borrow
Borrow this book from a friend in class and photocopy the pages, thats my advice.Good book, just over priced. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Book design    4. Design & Drafting    5. Graphic Arts - General    6. Graphic design (Typography)    7. History    8. History - General    9. Typography    10. Architecture / Design & Drafting    11. Graphic design    12. History of specific subjects   

Reviews (176)

Required Reading for all text workers
As the subject says, I'd consider this book required reading for everyone trying to express ideas in text. For example: I'm a professional software developer and have yet to get into a situation where I'd have to design a poster or similar thing,and yet, the principles Robin Williams explains in this book also apply in the context of software development as far as the layout of our source code is concerned. Design is everywhere, so you might as well learn the basics of it.

NonDesigners and Designers get fueled
This is an extremely helpful book for anyone of any history in design.Back-to-the-basics design by an author that keeps it simple.Has a huge typography section, as well as some humor (a rare find in these type of books), and a lot of learning without the struggle.Buy it, read it, and add it to your library.
book review
This book was very helpful in my computer graphic class. I learned alot about alignment and proximity. I recommend this book to all beginner graphic students ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Desktop Publishing    4. Design - Book    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Electronic Publishing    8. Graphic arts    9. Graphic design (Typography)    10. Handbooks, manuals, etc    11. Layout (Printing)    12. Typography    13. Computer Programming    14. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General   

Editorial Review

This lovely, well-written book is concerned foremost with creating beautiful typography and is essential for professionals who regularly work with typographic designs. Author Robert Bringhurst writes about designing with the correct typeface; striving for rhythm, proportion, and harmony; choosing and combining type; designing pages; using section heads, subheads, footnotes, and tables; applying kerning and other type adjustments to improve legibility; and adding special characters, including punctuation and diacritical marks. Read more

Reviews (65)

This is a must read
You won't see many bad reviews on this book and the reason is simple. It is an extremely good book. I do alot of web design and this book brings you back to all that was great in book typography. Very inspiring read. If you love graphic design you will probably love this book as well.

Bringhurst brings his game
As a beginning typographer in art school, this book is invaluable to me. Everytime I have a question about something typographic I can refer to the book for an answer and reasoning. Anyone from a beginner to an expert typographer should own a copy of this book. Bringhurst creates a lucid world of typography that makes it easy to read while having layers of information. A great buy.

Generating Passion for Typography
My friends give me a hard time becuase they have found me on more than one occasion reading this book at weird times. I read it in the bathroom. I read it instead of working on papers for my elective classes. This book stimulates me to design and create. It ignited and continues to kindle the passion for design and typography that burns inside me. If you've read Strunk and White's Elements of Style (for grammar) and enjoyed it, and are a designer then this book is for you. One of the best references I have. The author's passion for typography is clear, and it has inspired my passion as well.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Book design    4. Design - Book    5. Graphic Design    6. Graphic design (Typography)    7. Type and type-founding    8. Typography    9. Art / Design / Book   

Reviews (8)

A very very useful book
I have been using this book a lot, in the recent months, and I am finding it very useful. I am not *at all* an expert latex user, but I do have decent programming skills, and I usually use a computer for hours every day, so my IT skills are decent, overall. For writing technical documents I have been using for years a fairly dated version of ScientificWorkplace, but I am now slowly switching to do more and more in latex, which gives me greater flexibility. What I usually do now is writing my documents in ScientificWorkplace, and then taking care of formatting and other unusual features editing the documents in Latex, through a program called WinEdt. In almost all cases, when I am in trouble with some commands or options, I find a clear solution in this book. For this reason, if your profile sounds a bit like mine, I would highly recommend this book. The new (fourth) edition also includes extensive references to the "hyperref" package, which is very very useful to create great pdf output that includes links to footnotes/sections/equations etc., bookmarks, and active buttons.

Not the best for absolute beginners, but great reference
For starting out in Latex, I recommend one of the many free online tutorials, such as the "not-so-short introduction to Latex".That will get you more than started.This book is a great add-on reference to that, and the level is just right: not too wordy, but easy to follow.It has much deeper coverage of how to do graphics and drawings, how to create a bibliography, how to create postscript and pdf files, etc, in addition to the basics, of course.

Brief, effective introduction to Latex
This is an ideal introduction to the TeX line of text formatting tools. It starts with a high level overview of the toolset. Then dives into document construction, then into tables, lists, mathematical formatting, and into user constructions and extensions for bibliographies, as well as other topics. PDF and Postscript formatting is covered. As well as AMS-TeX which is more extensions or mathematical formatting.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computerized typesetting    3. Computers    4. Computers - Desktop Publishing    5. Electronic Publishing    6. LaTeX (Computer file)    7. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    8. Typesetting    9. Typography    10. Word Processing - General    11. Computers / Electronic Publishing    12. Desktop publishing software    13. Mathematical & statistical software    14. Mathematics for scientists & engineers    15. Special purpose languages    16. Word processing software   

Reviews (17)

Excellent primer for the novice and self-trained
I recently finished reading - and taking copious notes - from The Elements of Graphic Design. As an individual taking himself through the process of learning graphic design without having to go to school, this book is invaluable. White makes the concepts crystal clear and simple prose imbued with his own take on doing design correctly plus doing it well. I've always had a good eye for composition but White's work has helped me see the underlying methods for making my designs better. I'm now building a presentation from his work to share with our marketing team to build a consistent look for our work. His book is a superb work for anyone needing to get a quick grip on design fundamentals, too. Just put them to use! There's no magic here, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do design. White will show you the way.

The Elements of Graphic Design
The Elements of Graphic Design
well organized for reference
I used the book as reference for teaching design for HS publications. The visual & theoretical information worked well to show how to organize information and why. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Graphic Arts - General    5. Graphic design (Typography)    6. Layout (Printing)    7. Type and type-founding    8. Typography    9. Art techniques & principles    10. Graphic design   

Subjects:  1. Adobe InDesign    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Typography    8. Computer graphics software    9. Desktop publishing software   

Reviews (4)

Type Book that dilivers!
I've always looked at design books that showscase work from firms around the country and have always wondered: "What typeface is that?". I really love how in this book it actually tells you the typefaces used in all of the work. I also love the cover and the layout. If your in type and love graphic design, BUY THIS BOOK!

Type as Art
Awesome selection of works with outstanding use of typography. nice collection of examples

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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial art    4. Design - General    5. General    6. Graphic Arts - General    7. Graphic design (Typography)    8. Typography   

Reviews (12)

Nice detailed explanation
For the advanced Latex user, this book will enhance your documents to professional looking documents.

Dissertation Salvation
I am not a LaTeX newbie. I have used various LaTeX implementations for several years over the course of my graduate student career. Nevertheless, most of my LaTeX experience was with simpler more forgiving projects. Those projects\textemdash and my frustrations with Word instability during the development of several grant proposals\textemdash (joke) were what encouraged me to tackle my dissertation using LaTeX.
not practical, incomplete
I give it 2 stars, because it means "I don't like it" according to Amazon's rating system. I tried to "quickly" figure out how to change margins in a document. It turned out to be much more easier to do it with Google! So, OK, this is not a recipes book. It runs pages and pages, though. if you can stand it, you can find it.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computerized typesetting    3. Computers    4. Computers - Desktop Publishing    5. Desktop Publishing - General    6. Electronic Publishing    7. LaTeX (Computer file)    8. LaTeX (Computer software)    9. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    10. Typesetting    11. Typography    12. Computers / Electronic Publishing    13. Desktop publishing software   

Reviews (4)

Up to date
This is a great text book for graphic designers to have in their library. It provides a lot of visuals and information designers should be familiarized with.

One of the best
I have been a graphic designer for over 20 years. I teach typography at the university level. I learned typography the old-fashioned way: by specifying, setting, and manipulating it by hand. From that background I can confidently state that THE best way to truly understand how type works is through understanding the forms of letters, words, and groups of words. Wow, what a letdown
This is one of the rare books that my art college actually required me to purchase for a Typography class. The design of this book is poor and very dated. Just take a look at the cover. The first chapter offers a timeline which is interesting in concept--it features a brief history of lettering and type, and adds images of other significant events happening at the same time. But the timeline design forces you to jump back and forth from images to text and the grid layout forces the image placement to be so inconsistent that you give up trying to find the corresponding text.The rest of the book provides interesting and useful information for the type neophyte, but again, its WAY too dated to be a required textbook. I'm sorry I bought this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Graphic Design    5. Graphic design (Typography)    6. Language    7. Typography    8. Art / Typography   

Reviews (13)

Good Book
I found this to be a really good book.It covers everything you need to know about typography.From the basics and generalized topics, to the nitty gritty.So if you are looking to have a better undertanding of typography, I highly recommend this book.

Covers past history, letter architecture and future computer typesetting
I am only half way through this book (so much in it I have to take it a few pages at a time). The history of type is covered (and should be read to learn vocabulary...but has a great glossary if you just want to learn terms in other sections as you go along...21 pages of glossary.)
Very good
Although I'm not an expert and therefore cannot comment on whether this really is a complete manual, I can say that the book is very good. It's full of helpful examples (nicely placed in the margins) that help the reader develop good typographical intuitions. It is extremely accessible, even for a non-specialist, and from all that I can tell, it is quite comprehensive. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. Computers - Desktop Publishing    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Electronic Publishing    6. Graphic design (Typography)    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Type and type-founding    9. Typesetting    10. Typography    11. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    12. Desktop publishing software    13. Electronic publishing: techniques   

Reviews (32)

One of the greatest books for logo design
Another book that is definately a "must buy", especially if you're a logo designer.Funny thing is, the publisher has released another book that is especially focused on logos named "logo index" but i find this "idea index" to be a hundred times more useful when it comes to logos.
Perfectly simple for beginners
I am an architecture student who is always looking for new ideas on how to present my work graphically.I purchased 'Idea Index' after having read all of the great reviews about the book.I believe it is a perfect reference for beginners who have little experience in the field of graphic design, and also for those who have a penchant for Microsoft clip art.
I call this a design jump start...
This is the book I grab when I feel like my creative spark has died out. I never fails to give me a good idea or two...and usually that is enough to get things started.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - Book    4. Graphic design (Typography)    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Typography    7. Graphic design   

Reviews (32)

worthless....
This is without a doubt the worst reference on typography that I have ever read. It is filled with useless metaphors and examples. I really expected more from the Adobe Press.

5 Quick Truths
1. Entertainment, not resource. Provides insight into the uses of type, as well as a brief history of many different typefaces. Robert Bringhurst's "The Elements of Typography" (0881792063) is a better book for those in need of a resource.
OK, not useful
This book was more flash than content.It looks very nice, always having a gripping picture on the left, a nice layout on the right, and font examples that illustrate the point.As a beginning designer, I didn't learn anything new or concrete, but enjoyed having the book wash over me for awhile.
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Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing - General    5. Electronic Publishing    6. Graphic Arts - General    7. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    8. Type and type-founding    9. Typography    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    11. Graphic design    12. Publishing on the Internet   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Advertising    4. Popular Culture - General    5. Typography    6. Advertising industry    7. Graphic design   

Reviews (9)

offers the necessary design skills and sharp eyes to become a successful designer!!
I wanted to take a brief moment to express the huge impact that the "System Grids" made in my design skill development.
Grids are NOT a design solution
While this is a thoughtful and interesting book I am worried that it presents the impression that The Grid is somehow a design solution. The concept must come first, the design of anything should be based on strong ideas. The Grid is a very important organizational tool but must be used to support the concept. I would recommend this book to people who already have an extensive understanding of typography and hierarchy.

Excellent design resource
Design students, design educators and practicing designers should own this book. Design students will certainly gain a fundamental understanding of page structure. The author explains her system of design in a clear straightforward incremental manner. Grid Systems is a good book for design educators to use as a course book for an introduction to page structure. The text and images within the book can be used by faculty as a guide for a variety of projects-posters, book covers, multi-page systems, websites, etc. The professional and historical examples within the book also provide educators with a design history context. And finally practicing designers who are looking for a quick overview of grids will find helpful examples and explanations to break out of their grid rut. In fact, I showed this book to a colleague and her response was "this makes me want to rethink my grid systems." Grid Systems by Kimberly Elam is a must read for any designer and must have for any design library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Graphic Arts - General    4. Graphic design (Typography)    5. Type and type-founding    6. Typography    7. Graphic design    8. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Commercial - Annuals    4. Design - General    5. Graphic Arts - General    6. Typography    7. Art / Typography    8. Graphic design   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design - General    4. Typography   

Reviews (2)

Time to Make the Switch
I too was terrified to make the switch from Quark to InDesign. I consider myself to be a Quark "power user" and was so comfortable in the program that I found it scary to leave. I recently saw David speak at the Digial Design Conference in Seattle and I felt assured that the time had come to make the switch - or become a technological dinosaur. So after seeing David speak I purchased the book myself to "test the waters." WOW. I was amazed by the things that InDesign allows me to do - such as dealing with transparency issues and no longer needing to save files as EPS to place in a layout program.
Straightforward instruction
The collaborative effort of QuarkXPress experts David Blatner, Christopher Smith, and Steve Werner, InDesign For QuarkXPress Users is an impressive reference tool for those who are already basically proficient in QuarkXPress software and want to learn Adobe InDesign for the creation of professional graphics. Straightforward instruction, numerous screenshots and examples, and an easy-to-follow language makes InDesign For QuarkXPress Users an excellent and thoroughly "user friendly" informational and reference resource for a very rapid learning curve. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adobe InDesign    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Computers - Desktop Publishing    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Desktop Publishing - General    7. Electronic Publishing    8. QuarkXPress (Computer file)    9. Typography    10. Computers / Desktop Publishing / General    11. Quark XPress   

Reviews (5)

Next best thing to original U&lc magazine
U&lc: influencing design and typography, is a recently published book that chronicles the acclaimed magazine from its birth in 1973 through the last issue printed in 1999. John D. Berry, U&lc editor for the last two years of printed issues and creator of its companion web publication, U&lc Online, takes us back to the inception and raison d'�tre for the magazine.
A MARVELOUS LOOK BACK!
As a graphic design student at Brigham Young University I was introduced to U&lc, "The International Journal of Typographics." I came to anticipate the arrival of each issue, packed not only with the latest type fonts from International Typeface Corporation, but with interesting articles about subjects ranging from the Chinese zodiac to wines and cheeses. U&lc was fun and featured examples of cutting-edge typography by some of the world's greatest graphic designers.
Good for you
If you're working with type or just interested in typography and as a designer you should be, this book will assist and inspire you. Although it's a historical perspective, it will always be relevant. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Graphic Arts - General    5. Typography    6. Graphic design