Interested in type design, but unsure where to start?
Some introductory books can still feel technically demanding.
Here are five accessible books that approach type and lettering from different directions.
There are many more to discover; we can return to other titles another time.
Dedication to letterforms字型城市：香港造字匠 — a book about Hong Kong’s letterform makers
Rather than a practical manual or a book of design theory, this is a Hong Kong-centred account of people and craft. It explores the relationship between local letterform makers, their aesthetics and social change.
Their individual backgrounds offer different ways to understand the city’s visual culture, connecting the making of letters with everyday life.
A closer look at Northern Wei forms香港北魏真書 — Hong Kong’s Northern Wei-style calligraphy
This book brings together six years of research into Northern Wei-style calligraphy and its development into type design. It documents applications on Hong Kong streets and in daily life across different periods, alongside the stories behind the work of calligraphers 區建公 and 蘇世傑.
The original article also discussed a project developing the calligraphic research into digital type. Please consult the designer’s announcements for current availability.
A journal devoted to typeTypography 字誌: Issue 01 造自己的字！ — making your own letters
Presented in the original article as an early Chinese-language periodical devoted to type, this journal explores typographic knowledge and developments in the field.
Its topics include making, finding and buying fonts; learning resources and studying abroad; examples of type in use; and webfonts and typography.
This section records the periodical as it stood when the original article was written. Check the publisher for current issues and availability.
An accessible introduction字型散步 Next
Written for a general readership, the book uses straightforward language to explain why type matters as part of culture’s ‘visual fabric’, in an age when almost everyone uses fonts.
Justfont’s approach to public type education encourages readers to use fonts for particular tasks, including typesetting and understanding legitimate licensing.
Understanding design decisions感覺舒服的文字：標準字與字型的設計手法 — approaches to wordmark and type design
A collection of Chinese-character design work by Yoshimaru Takahashi, approached through the principles behind the forms.
The case studies examine the underlying character structure, the rules guiding its transformation, the elements introduced during the process, and the relationship between lettering and imagery.
It is a useful title to consider when studying the decisions behind letterform design.
