Review

True to type: how we fell in love with our letters

Posted by David Bushell

True to type: how we fell in love with our letters is an article in the Guardian about typography and fonts written by Simon Garfield.

From easyJet to Facebook, road signs to clothing labels, we are surrounded by a world of type. But what messages do its different kinds convey? In this extract from his new book, Just My Type, Simon Garfield looks at the history of typefaces, the obsessive care taken over their design – and the role they play in shaping our lives

This is a really well researched and fascinating piece that explores the history, modern usage and perception of typography. The article turns into a bit of a Neville Brody affair towards the end, an apt case study perhaps, even if his own fonts look like something found towards the less visited corners of dafont (just my opinion!).

Fonts, like life, are governed by rules. It's not necessarily a bad thing, being told to sit up straight and not covet thy neighbour's ox, and we'd all be lost without i before e except after c. But to what extent do rules stifle individuality and creativity?

Great read and it's very accessible to non-designers. If you visit Simon Garfield's website you can buy the full book "Just my Type" from which this was extracted.

Just My Type is a book of stories about fonts. It examines how Helvetica and Comic Sans took over the world. It explains why we are still influenced by type choices made more than 500 years ago, and why the T in the Beatles logo is longer than the other letters.

I think I just might buy it.