ejnord.com | Typeface: Classic Typography Contemporary Design

In my early days, I had a quick appreciation for sans serifs like Helvetica, Univers, and Akzidenz. But the usefulness of many serif faces were lost on me. I saw them as old-fashioned. And I must be honest and say that my first typographic passion was for unconventional “modern” display fonts.

While I still keep my eyes peeled for the new, I now realize that classic fonts (and their variants, progeny, and modified versions) are more than capable of getting the job done. With that in mind, I present my new favorite book… Tamye Riggs’ Typeface: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design.

The concept is simple: Tamye and her crew made small showcases for 46 classic fonts. Each presentation includes background information, along with examples of contemporary designs that utilize each face.

This book has a few key features. First, it gives a handy, full-size reference for fonts that are used on a regular basis. Second, we get to see the fonts in a wide range of uses and weights (and the examples are stellar). Third, in limiting this book to 46 well-known fonts, it really makes a case for why (and how) some fonts are classic.