TypeTalk
TypeTalk is Ilene's monthly Q&A column on typography. Check out the first year’s columns:
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 3007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
As of March 2008, TypeTalk has been converted into a weekly Q&A blog. Check out all entries here.
Have a burning question on type? Send it to Ilene at typetalk (at) thetypestudio.com.
fy(t)i – For Your Typographic Information
Ilene writes a monthly column entitled fy(t)i – for your typographic information for both the International Typeface Corporation (ITC) and Monotype Imaging (MTI) web sites (itcfonts.com and fonts.com).
fy(t)i is an ongoing series of educational, informative and entertaining articles on all matters typographic. Each article is dedicated to an important yet often overlooked and misunderstood aspect of typographic communication.
The articles below have been converted to PDF form for your downloading convenience. New titles appear on a regular basis.
Ilene’s most ambitious literary effort to date is her recent book, Type Rules! The designer’s guide to professional typography. Type Rules! is a practical guide to understanding type and how to use it effectively. It is intended for beginners and advanced professionals alike, and covers a broad range of topics. As Fred Showker, editor and publisher of DT&G Magazine puts it, “Ilene shares a brief but fulfilling history of type in ‘From Metal to Mac’ then covers the look and postures of type, selecting the right type for the job, basic techniques for emphasis, fine tuning and tweaking, [typographic] typos and how to avoid them, symbols and dingbats, customizing fonts, dos & don’ts, and even designing your own typeface. Many of the chapters have both basic and advanced versions which get you into the real ‘passion’ of typography. The book is loaded with superb illustrations and examples.”
This second edition of Type Rules! is new and improved in many ways. The content not only has been revised, expanded, and updated to reflect current standards in type, design, and technology but three new components have been added: Techtips, Typetips, and Exercises.
• Techtips are instructional sidebars on how to achieve some of the typographic principles and techniques mentioned within, using the two most popular and widely used design applications: Adobe InDesign CS2 and QuarkXPress 7.0.
• Typetips are sidebars containing helpful hints and tasty tidbits explaining some
of the information in more detail.
• And, last but definitely not least, the Exercises are tasks and assignments intended to assist in learning and understanding the typographic principles contained within, as well as applying them in actual design projects. The supplements, which follow each chapter, are intended for educators and students, but can be used by anyone wanting to reinforce and apply the material within (and possibly winding up with some great portfolio pieces as well!).
Come back often to see what’s new, or sign up for our monthly e-newsletters on The Type Studio’s latest typographic downloads and activities.
