Anybody seriously interested in typography probably already knows about Typophile, but I just discovered it (via MetaFilter) and wanted to pass it along. It’s beautifully designed, has useful book reviews and articles, and ranges far beyond typographical technique (see the discussion thread on the pros and cons of a proposed “Hate the Hate” organization). And while we’re on the subject, let me recommend Anatomy of a Typeface by Alexander Lawson, a very well written book that goes back to the early days of printing. In the words of the Typophile reviewer:
This book does not take into account the digital type revolution of the past twelve years, but it’s an excellent critical review of all the important types still in use. Some of these types may have had their genesis several hundred years ago, but Lawson also takes into account their twentieth-century incarnations. Especially valuable are the examples of old typography, which never fail to fascinate and enchant. Not only a worthy reference, but an entertaining read.
I can just about tell my serifs from my sanserifs, and even then confusion creeps in, and I picture a rowdy mob of sanserifs in the streets of Paris baying for the blood of the aristos.
As a nice companion to that excellent site, below is a Typographic History at a Glance, a gorgeously illustrated encapsulation of said history from the Renaissance to the 19th century, all in one long-scrolling page (it takes a couple of minutes to fully load, but it’s well worth it.)
http://www.typebox.com/3thinkbox/3hist3_2.html
I love the typomania BBC show from the 80s.
Thanks to both hat and aldi for a fascinating few minutes’ viewing.
I’m going to check this out.
I’m a type-face libertine.
I’m on a “centaur” kick at the moment (an antiquated looking typeface), and I have, in the past, had phases of (in order of the most recent) sylfaen (also pleasingly antique, it’s what I use on commonbeauty), courier (which I thought was hip and retro), palatino linotype (after seeing a museum show about Zapf in New York), and, way in the murky depths of the past, times new roman (because to my eyes then, it looked grown-up and professional, it looked like print).
Font geekery is cool.
Typographica, a typography blog.