Out Now: The Ultimate Typeface Reference Book
As new fonts are continuously released and classic favorites modernized and expanded, it is not easy to maintain an overview of available fonts, not to mention exactly which formats and alphabets they support. While nearly everyone has comprehensive access to thousands of fonts online, many typography professionals also need to see typefaces actually printed on paper in order to make a qualified decision – especially when it comes to comparing alternatives and analyzing minute details. The newly released “Typeface Catalog A-Z” from Linotype is the ideal solution, organized alphabetically by type and by language groups, including all available fonts for Central European, Near Eastern and Middle Eastern languages.
Managing Director Bruno Steinert is familiar with the pressing needs of today’s typography professionals: “Creating an individual form of expression is the greatest challenge in today’s media world.” Consequently, finding a unique and fitting typeface for a project or client is no simple task. This is why Linotype has published a new, comprehensive typeface catalog, incorporating all libraries which are available for licensing from Linotype. The popular classics in “The Linotype Originals” are complemented by the avant-garde fonts of “The TakeType Collection” as well as by the font weights in “The ITC Collection” and many Adobe fonts in “The Assorted Foundries Collection”. With over 6,500 typefaces to choose from, Linotype’s Typeface Catalog A-Z covers the whole typographic spectrum, ensuring users find the individual style they need – while also providing additional information such as the designer’s name, year of original release and all available formats at a single glance.
To make the search for a required typeface as convenient and efficient as possible, the typefaces in the catalog are divided into seven groups:
- Sans Serif Typefaces
- Serif Typefaces
- Script and Brush Typefaces
- Decorative and Display Typefaces
- Uncial and Blackletter Typefaces
- Pi and Symbol Typefaces
- Central European and Non Latin Typefaces
A thumb index helps users quickly locate the sections – the typefaces in each section are then listed in alphabetical order. What first grabs the eye is how the “normal” weight of each font family and its companion italics are illustrated in quite a large point size. By clearly showing the details of the typeface design in this way, comparative analysis is remarkably easy. Only as an example, looking at a particular entry, such as Palatino™ nova, it is fascinating to compare its sharp serifs with the slightly softer ones in Minion® several pages before.
Despite the sheer size of this hardbound catalog (nearly 600 pages in A4 format), it is surprisingly light, weighing less than two kilograms, yet without compromising on the quality of the paper or the print. For good reason. Linotype is well aware that print is still one of the most important media in today’s world. This can be immediately appreciated in each font family’s sample characters and symbols, thanks to the large point size selected. Fine details such as the playful use of dots in Linotype MMistel™ suddenly leap off the page while the spontaneous contours of Ruling Script™ suggests the surface of a rough paper. Or the sharp edges of Grafilone™, upon closer inspection, actually appear ragged and worn, giving the font a vibrant character. Symbol fonts are shown even larger than alphabet typefaces, making the details of the often intricate characters clearly visible. These typefaces are also shown with all characters in the font rather than only a representative selection.
Linotype’s Typeface Catalog A-Z is rounded off with a section on technical information, explaining details like the system requirements for fonts or the different OpenType versions. A glossary offers definitions for a variety of typographic terms and abbreviations and, of course, an alphabetical index can be found in the final pages, including an exhaustive listing of all typefaces in the catalog. Attractively priced and bound in a distinguished black, the catalog is an elegant and highly practical must for anyone working with type. Ordering is possible via Linotype at www.linotype.com, the ISBN number is 3-9810319-2-X.
Linotype GmbH, based in Bad Homburg, Germany and a member of the Heidelberg Group, looks back onto a history of 120 years. Building on its strong heritage, Linotype develops state-of-the-art font technology and offers more than 6,000 original typefaces, covering the whole typographic spectrum from antique to modern, from east to west, and from classical to experimental. All typefaces (in PostScript™ and TrueType™ format as well as more than 2,500 fonts in OpenTypeT™) are now also available for instant download at www.linotype.com. In addition to supplying digital fonts, Linotype also offers comprehensive and individual consultation and support services for font applications in worldwide (corporate) communication.
