Before you read Bringhurst on typography

Created on February 10, 2012

2012   ·   Design

Today’s xkcd comic on kerning is wonderful and painfully true.

Robert Bringhurst’s The Elements of Typographic Style should come with a warning: This book will ruin your ability to ignore typographic injustices.

Case in point: Sunday I was reading before bed and I couldn’t believe what I saw. The book I was reading actually had swash capitals BUT NOT COMMON LIGATURES (fl, fi, ffl, etc). The transgressions don’t end there, sadly. Wouldn’t you know the copy on the box this particular Bible came in does include common ligatures. The box has better typography than the book. Somebody punch me in the face.

Ignorance was bliss.

More about kerning:



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