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Robert Bringhurst
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The Elements of Typographic Style: Version 4.0: 20th Anniversary Edition Paperback – January 15, 2013

by Robert Bringhurst (Author)
Renowned typographer and poet Robert Bringhurst brings clarity to the art of typography with this masterful style guide. Combining the practical, theoretical, and historical, this edition is completely updated, with a thorough revision and updating of the longest chapter, "Prowling the Specimen Books," and many other small but important updates based on things that are continually changing in the field.
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  1. Print length
    382 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hartley and Marks Publishers
  4. Publication date
    January 15, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780881792126
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0881792126
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A classic in the field." — Library Journal

About the Author

Robert Bringhurst is a poet, typographer, linguist, critic, designer, translator, teacher, and cultural historian. He has published more than thirty books, eighteen of them books of poetry. His book, The Black Canoe, a study of Bill Reid’s sculpture, is a classic of Native American art history and his book The Elements of Typographic Style is considered the “bible” for typographers the world over. In Canada, Bringhurst is best known for his groundbreaking study of Native Canadian oral literature, A Story As Sharp as a Knife: The Classical Haida Mythtellers and Their World (1999), a work that startled many readers and sparked intense academic and public debate. Two volumes of translation from classical Haida complete the trilogy: Nine Visits to the Mythworld and Being In Being. In 2004, the trilogy earned Bringhurst the Edward Sapir Prize, awarded by the Society for Linguistic Anthropology. Among his more recent books of poetry is Ursa Major (2003), a multilingual work in which characters tell simultaneous stories in English, Latin, Greek, and Cree.

Born in Los Angeles in 1946, Robert Bringhurst was brought to Canada at the age of five, raised largely in Alberta, and has lived and worked in British Columbia since 1973. He currently lives near Heriot Bay on Quadra Island.

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
414 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find this typography book to be a definitive guide that goes into detail about pretty much anything, with a well-designed layout and great reference value for page design. They appreciate its informative content and history sections, and one customer notes it's a must-have for graphic designers. The book's readability receives mixed feedback, with some finding it easy to read while others find it difficult.

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Information qualityDesignDepthLayoutGraphic designHistoryContentReadability
18 customers mention "Information quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and authoritative, describing it as a definitive guide that serves as a great reference.

"New edition contains more extensive coverage of fonts. Excellent resource for anyone in love with a well-printed and formatted page." Read more

"Solid presentation - good structure. Useful resource." Read more

"I love this book. It's such a great reference, and it goes into detail about pretty much anything you want to know about anything...." Read more

"This book is really informative for those getting into the typographic business, demonstrating good ettiquette in the myriad niceties involved..." Read more

7 customers mention "Design"6 positive1 negative

Customers like the design of the book.

"Book looks fine. The cover just has a slight bend and it has a dinged corner on the the top right of the front cover...." Read more

"The book is a masterpiece in every single detail. Beautiful, informative, insightful, is as good as it can get...." Read more

"...I love leafing through this book as much as reading it. Every page is elegant. The paper feels good...." Read more

"Beautifully designed and content is very insightful." Read more

6 customers mention "Depth"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's depth, noting that it goes into detail about pretty much anything and is well-researched.

"This is an excellent book that covers not only detailed information about the usage of typography but much history as well...." Read more

"...It is well-written, fascinating, well-researched, and offers deep insights into improving the typography and readability of any document you..." Read more

"An exhaustive and authoritative tome covering everything from text block proportions and page layout to font type and selection for various purposes...." Read more

"...First, believe the hype. This book is a work of art, science, and history. It is not for the novice home schooled designer...." Read more

6 customers mention "Layout"5 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's layout, describing it as well-designed and noting it serves as a great reference book on page design.

"...away the most intelligent, knowledgeable, well-written, and beautifully designed guide for anyone interested in the history of type and the design..." Read more

"Interesting and nice layout. Has some nice facts about type that I never knew." Read more

"Solid presentation - good structure. Useful resource." Read more

"Full of information and examples. A must have guide. Very well designed." Read more

4 customers mention "Graphic design"3 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's graphic design content, with one mentioning it's a must-have for designers and another noting it helps in creating professional documents.

"...Otherwise, definitely a must-have for graphic designers!" Read more

"Must have book for any graphic designer, no matter what your focus is, you will always need to use type, and this book shows you how to do it well." Read more

"No graphics; ironic for a graphic design book." Read more

"...Using the techniques outlined in this book I have been able to create professional documents that are more persuasive in a business setting because..." Read more

4 customers mention "History"3 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the book's historical content.

"...First, believe the hype. This book is a work of art, science, and history. It is not for the novice home schooled designer...." Read more

"This is an absolutely fantastic book about the history and practice of typography...." Read more

"...The book is mostly great, despite a strange lack of history around spaces and punctuation, and occasional hectoring, but an unreadable typography..." Read more

"...not only detailed information about the usage of typography but much history as well...." Read more

3 customers mention "Content"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content interesting.

"...It is well-written, fascinating, well-researched, and offers deep insights into improving the typography and readability of any document you..." Read more

"Interesting and nice layout. Has some nice facts about type that I never knew." Read more

"Interesting content, visually tiring..." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the readability of the book, with some finding it easy to read and browse through, while one customer mentions it makes reading difficult.

"...work on typography--remarkably well-written; and easy to browse through on an afternoon or to use as a reference point when one slips..." Read more

"...layout combine to create strange variations in contrast that make reading difficult...." Read more

"...offers deep insights into improving the typography and readability of any document you create...." Read more

They call it "Elements" for a good reason.
5 out of 5 stars
They call it "Elements" for a good reason.
This book is really informative for those getting into the typographic business, demonstrating good ettiquette in the myriad niceties involved (even in the matter of page size and layout). There's also a handy index for extended characters for type designers, especially the Cyrillic italics which can be obtuse for those used to Latin regularity. The only downside is that it's a bit dated in the face of new font technology. Otherwise, definitely a must-have for graphic designers!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • the-librarian
    5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you will ever need on typography!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2019
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is an absolutely fantastic book about the history and practice of typography. I love it so much this is the second copy I’ve purchased so I can have one at home and one in my office at work. It is well-written, fascinating, well-researched, and offers deep insights into improving the typography and readability of any document you create.

    Using the techniques outlined in this book I have been able to create professional documents that are more persuasive in a business setting because they look nice and are easy to read. After reading this book you will begin to notice the impact of typography all around you and take notice of how you can make better documents.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Dream Beast
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    One would expect a book on typography to be beautiful, but The Elements of Typographic Style exceeds those expectations. I love leafing through this book as much as reading it. Every page is elegant. The paper feels good. And the author truly is a poet whose prose makes the technical aspects of typography approachable. He writes:

    "Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form, and thus with an independent existence. Its heartwood is calligraphy--the dance, on a tiny stage, of the living, speaking hand--and its roots reach into living soil, though its branches may be hung each year with new machines."

    An illuminating book.
    26 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Stu Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quintessential
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    My first copy had some ink smudges on a few pages, but Amazon replaced it. First, believe the hype. This book is a work of art, science, and history. It is not for the novice home schooled designer. It covered exactly the fundamentals, trade knowledge and examples I wanted to learn. I can confirm that this is the quintessential book on typography every designer must have to understand the full scope of typography, type faces, and fonts—and how to properly apply them to print and digital materials professionally with meaning and purpose.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • stella fletcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly quick delivery from US to Europe. Book in excellent condition
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Quick delivery from US to Europe: surprisingly quick and easy through customs. Book in excellent condition, as described.
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  • Vijay Rathinasamy
    5.0 out of 5 stars They call it "Elements" for a good reason.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book is really informative for those getting into the typographic business, demonstrating good ettiquette in the myriad niceties involved (even in the matter of page size and layout). There's also a handy index for extended characters for type designers, especially the Cyrillic italics which can be obtuse for those used to Latin regularity. The only downside is that it's a bit dated in the face of new font technology. Otherwise, definitely a must-have for graphic designers!
    Customer image
    Vijay Rathinasamy
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    They call it "Elements" for a good reason.

    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
    This book is really informative for those getting into the typographic business, demonstrating good ettiquette in the myriad niceties involved (even in the matter of page size and layout). There's also a handy index for extended characters for type designers, especially the Cyrillic italics which can be obtuse for those used to Latin regularity. The only downside is that it's a bit dated in the face of new font technology. Otherwise, definitely a must-have for graphic designers!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • David Irving
    5.0 out of 5 stars I liked Elements enough that when I noticed the forthcoming title
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2016
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is a book that really helped pique my interest in typography back when the first edition was published. I was actually looking to buy Bringhurst's forthcoming book about Palatino, but did not find it on the Amazon site. This was a first for me. Not finding anything on Amazon. I was able to order the Bringhurst book directly from the Book Club of California. I liked Elements enough that when I noticed the forthcoming title, I looked to buy it. Robert Bringhurst is also a published poet, by the way. I find that writers with strong backgrounds in poetry tend to write well and seem to love words and type as much as I do. I bought this 20th anniversary edition to back up my wearing out early edition.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Liam A.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Okay for a 2nd Hand Book
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Book looks fine. The cover just has a slight bend and it has a dinged corner on the the top right of the front cover. Would give it 5-stars if the ding was on the back.
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  • B. Hill
    1.0 out of 5 stars Pretentious, Pompous, Bombastic. Fails to Lead by Example
    Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Commits brand dilution against "The Elements of Style", a tight, 105 page book where every page has something you could reference while writing. In contrast, this book is a bloated 382 pages of flowery prose you have to slog through to find useful info in.

    The very layout of the book is written like more like prose than a reference manual. The author uses the outside margin to denote the current section title, sans chapter/section numbers or use of position to denote which chapter you're on. If that wasn't bad enough, he also uses that space for footnotes and examples, and they take precedence. You can flip through several pages, scanning the margin to get your bearings, but be met with footnotes and examples instead.

    So you could scan the content of the pages for navigation instead. However section headers use the same size and font style as body text, and have equal white space above and below them. Try flipping through the book and you'll find a lack of an immediate indicator to where you are. You'll soon realize you have to effectively read body text for navigation rather than scan. Awful.

    The table on pg. 28 really sums up the book's inability to lead by example. Go on and try using it instinctively. Try not resorting to the 21-word explanation. Whenever Tufte kicks the bucket, he's going to immediately start rolling in his grave due to that abomination being in a book that's so highly rated.

    This book does have some nice points, like the history of typography. But that would have been better reserved for its own book, especially if you're going to have the audacity to name yourself after The Elements of Style and name drop it in your Foreword and promotional materials. I'm giving this book a 1/5 because it should really be an average of 3.5 at best.

    Get "Mastering Type" for general typography instead, as it does nearly everything this book does but better. Get "Don't Make Me Think!" as well if you do web work.
    22 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • M Schulz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 4, 2024
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    By far the best book on typography I have seen or own. (And I own two shelves full.)
    Customer image
    M Schulz
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Stunning.

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 4, 2024
    By far the best book on typography I have seen or own. (And I own two shelves full.)
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  • Nicolò
    5.0 out of 5 stars La bibbia della tipografia
    Reviewed in Italy on February 7, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Un libro che ogni tipografo, grafico o designer dovrebbe avere. Grazie alla quantità e qualità dei contenuti permette di applicare tutte le regole di buona tipografia non solo per imitazione, ma per comprensione. Spiegati magistralmente e assorbiti questi concetti verranno applicati nella vita reale in maniera naturale, come respirare.
    Una vera bibbia della tipografia.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not for the faint hearted (in terms of typography)
    Reviewed in India on December 30, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    If you think you are super confident with the basics of typography, only then should you go for this book, or else this book can blow you up. The depth of the content is kind blowing. And it's a very very slow read, as it may take a while to digest every page. But it's worth it.
    Report
  • Jannik
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderschönes Buch, viel fundiertes WIssen
    Reviewed in Germany on March 28, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Dieses Buch schildert die Grundlagen des guten Textsatzes in gut verständlicher Form. Darüber hinaus wird immer wieder an den passenden Stellen auf die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Typografie von den ersten Keilschriften bis zum Digitaldruck und der Bildschirmtypografie eingegangen. Ausführliche Anhänge, die unter anderem einen Katalog der wichtigsten Schriftarten enthalten, vervollständigen das Buch zum Referenzwerk.

    Für jeden der ein berufliches Interesse an Typografie hat sollte dieses Buch Pflichtlektüre sein. Für jeden, der sich privat für unsere wichtigste Informationstechnologie interessiert bietet das Buch viele detaillierte Einblicke in das ansonsten eher versteckte Schaffen der Typografen.

    Wer darüber nachdenkt, sich dieses Buch zuzulegen, sollte wissen dass Bildschirmdesign zwar immer wieder tangiert wird, der Hauptaugenmerk aber klar auf gedrucktem Text liegt.

    Dennoch: uneingeschränkte Leseempfehlung!
    Report
  • Martin Krzywinski
    5.0 out of 5 stars The only typography book you need.
    Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is the most perfect book about typography. It approaches letters from a historical and impassioned perspective -- the author is also a poet.

    Section headers are heart-felt imperatives, such as "1.1.2 Letters have a life and dignity of their own".

    The book answers typical questions like font pairing and text layout in the context of fundamental concepts of the geometry of letters and the page. Chapter 8 is perhaps the most fascinating -- "Shaping the Page" -- in which Bringhurst compares proportions of the page to musical scales.

    If you wish to ascend beyond "font nazi" to "type lover and geek" this is the book for you.

    You can pry my copy from my cold dead hands.
    Report