OUGD506 Type In Context

Jan Tschichold - The Form of the Book

THE REAL reason for the number of deficiencies in books and other printed matter is the lack of - or

the deliberate dispensation with — tradition, and the arrogant disdain for all convention.

THE TYPOGRAPHY of books must not advertise. If it takes on elements of advertising graphics, it abuses the sanctity of the written word by coercing it to serve the vanity of a graphic artist incapable of discharging his duty as a mere lieutenant.

ONLY WHEN a book presents itself so pleasantly, when the object book is so perfect that we would spontaneously like to buy it and take it home, only then might it be a genuine example of the art of

making books.

The opening of Jan Tschicholds book, The Form of the Book, looks at three rules which Tschichold believes are needed for designing and producing a book. Tschichold is very passive aggressive in the way he writes, he tends to use forceful words to try enforce his point and make his opinions seem like rules that must be followed as he himself believes his way is the best. Though these were his thoughts in 1940, the time the book was written, the ideas and ways in which he describes are still very relevant today and are still used by designers today. Tschichold thinks of designing a book as an object to sell and that when someone wants to buy it, that is when you see the point or the 'art' in making books.

Every Book Starts With An Idea - Notes For Designers - Armand Mevis

Mevis' essay on book design and producing books starts by looking at the Frankfurt Book Fair and how the idea of 400,000 new books which are displayed at the fair every year cannot be as good as it should be, even calling it a 'Hellish' place, stating that "out of all these books there must be only a few hundred whose design is worth looking at, fewer to talk about and fewer still to discuss in depth" Mevis believes there should be less books and better content and that the idea of such a huge number cheapens the art of making a book, yet that though there are many people designing and making books and its a 'Jungle' that this is part of the adventure, it will be tricky but you will learn.

THE TYPOGRAPHY of books must not advertise. If it takes on elements of advertising graphics, it abuses the sanctity of the written word by coercing it to serve the vanity of a graphic artist incapable of discharging his duty as a mere lieutenant.