Review: Explorations in Typography

There are scores of “entry level” books on typography. I know, I’ve written a couple myself. Much rarer are books that explore the more complex and sophisticated realms of typographic communication. Carolina de Bartolo’s Explorations in Typography, now in its second edition, is one of these books– and it’s a good one.

Its 24 chapters explore everything from the creation of paragraph indents to typographic hierarchy – and showcases them in a deep, rich and wide array of typographic treatments. The examples are also set in a cornucopic variety of typefaces, serving as both a specimen book of “not your usual suspect” designs and inspiration for dynamic – and sometimes provocative – typeface pairings.

The second edition of Explorations in Typography has been revised and expanded to include more examples and more typefaces in addition to a visual index of page layouts and grids. Along with the copy from Erik Spiekermann used as the basis for the explorations in the first book, this new edition also features new typeface descriptions by Stephen Coles, plus an index of low-cost, or free for educational use, alternatives.

There are hundreds of books written about type and typographic design. Explorations in Typography is destined to become one of the few classics.

Explorations in Typography
By Carolina de Bartolo with Stephen Coles and Erik Spiekermann
216 pages, hardbound, $65
Published by 101 Editions
http://explorationsintypography.com