Universal Principles of Typography

Explore 100 key concepts, theories, and guidelines that are critical for choosing and using type.

We communicate with text every single day, but what does it mean to really understand type—to use it with clear intent and purpose? The art and science of typography combines subtle tweaks to line lengths with harmonious combinations of weights and styles; considered typeface pairings with a robust set of alternate characters; exciting technological advances with the realities of font licensing. There are so many ways designers can optimize how text is read and influence the way its message is understood—and yet so many designers miscommunicate without even realizing it.

Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, Universal Principles of Typographypairs clear explanations of each principle with visual examples of it applied in practice. By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed, and ultimately better, typography decisions.

Building upon tried-and-tested principles from the world of print through to the very latest advances in browser technology, this book will equip you with everything you need to make the most informed typographic decisions in your design work today.

Featured principles are as diverse as: Characters & Glyphs Font v. Typeface Hierarchy Inclusivity OpenType Pairing type Rhythm Web fonts
Each principle is presented in a two-page format. The first page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, examples of its use, and guidelines for use. Sidenotes appear with the text, and provide elaborations and references. The next page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.

With Universal Principles of Typography, gain a deep understanding of the universal principles of typography and learn how to apply them across any work you do with type, from the simplest of documents to the most complex of cross-platform design systems.

The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.