Type specimen book

Research and design a booklet about a typeface and its designer. Choose a font from the list of fonts for this project.

Parts

You’ll be researching, writing, and designing a short booklet that mixes text, images, and type samples. The booklet should include three parts: a title page, bio and type background, and a specimen.

Title page

Include title, your name, the date, and perhaps a subhead.

Designer bio and typeface background

Research the type designer and write a 200–250-word bio about them. Tell us about their career.

Look into the history of the typeface itself—the purposes for which it was created, the original format it was designed for (metal type, optical type, digital?), and subsequent revivals. Write 200–250 words about the face itself.

Find 3–4 images that tell us more about the type designer, the period from which the typeface dates, and the typeface in use. Write captions for each of these images. You may not use any other images—any other ornament should be typographic.

Cite all of your sources in a bibliography.

Type specimen

Using only typographic elements, create a type specimen that displays the font’s capabilities. Show the font at representative sizes, weights, and styles. Include small caps or other cases, where available, and show ligatures if they are present. For a regular weight and style, include capital letters A–Z, lowercase letters a–z, numerals 0–9, and common English punctuation. The specimen will run across several pages.

Specifications

• Page count: 8 pages, facing pages
• Trim size: 8 × 10 in., portrait/tall orientation. Bleeds are acceptable.
• Printing: double-sided, French fold
• Binding: Japanese-style stab binding (allocate about ½ in. on the left side of the page for the binding)
• Colors: black and one spot ink only (no exceptions!)
• Typeface: the font you’ve chosen and one contrasting face
• Software: InDesign

Final deliverable: upload a PDF to Canvas, and show a full-size, printed, trimmed, and bound version for critique.

Typefaces for this project

Most of these faces are available via Adobe Fonts. Some are open source. Some are more difficult to obtain licenses for—check with your instructor if you want to pursue them.

• Akzidenz Grotesk
• Archer※
• Avenir
• Baskerville
• Bembo
• Bodoni
• Caslon*
• Cheltenham
• Clarendon
• Didot*
• DIN
• Filosofia
• Franklin Gothic
• Frutiger
• Futura
• Garamond*
• Gill Sans
• Gotham※
• Goudy
• Helvetica
• Interstate
• Janson
• Jenson
• Meta※
• Miller※
• Mrs. Eaves
• Myriad
• News Gothic
• Noto Sans*
• IBM Plex family*
• Palatino
• Sabon
• Scala + Scala Sans
• Serifa
• Source Sans + family*
• Trade Gothic
• Univers

* Free/open source versions are available.
※ May require effort to obtain a license.