Here is a sneak preview of our font combination resource book for graphic designers. The book has one simple goal: to make finding interesting font pairs as easy as possible. We are designing the master template with the intention of setting as many useful examples as possible on one page.
We’ve designed a master page that has a little bit of just about everything on it. It’s an article, phone book, ad, callout, magazine, text book and general wall of text kind of design.
You’ll also notice we include the exact font name used (including bold or italic) along with the exact point size and leading amount used.
The point size and leading amount will be different for each font so that the text best fills up the allotted space without changing any wording. This makes comparisons based on relative space easy since the text will not change and give you a feel for size and word count fluctuations per font you look at.
This page layout will be replicated across all the font combinations so that the user will have a baseline with with to flip back and forth very easily.
Since the book will be available in PDF format, it will be very easy to print out 2 or 3 pages and compare them as you wish.
Below, our example shows the master page layout using a classic Myriad and Minion combination (click to enlarge):
Please share your feedback and we’ll do our best to incorporate it into the final product!
Very nice layout! I’m glad you’re including the type size and leading information as that will be helpful also. Looking forward to getting a copy!
Thanks, Phyllis
Brilliant! I have been looking everywhere for something like this!
@ Phyllis
We wrapped up the layout with a few tweaks. Version 1.0 will be pretty much what you see up there. It was a challenge to produce a design that really isn’t a design! But it does show the fonts and information about them in some kind of cohesive variety.
@tayf
Thanks! Basically, we are making the book we always wanted. We are all drawn to one thing or another, and typography has always had the biggest pull for me personally.
Typekit would benefit heavily from something like this. The per-font implementation it currently has, really sucks.
@ Arik: I’ve already been thinking on that 🙂 Stay tuned…
I’ve wanted exactly this for some time now. If you printed a bound edition, I’d buy one to keep on my desk, but will certainly buy the pdf when it comes out.
Hi Hillary: There are 2 print editions on the way. There is a full-sized 8.5 x 11 version with the layout you see above (more or less), and a trade-sized 5.5 x 7 version with a layout more like the Font Combos app. In addition to that, there is the full-sized PDF but also the pocket sized eReader optimized version. So you’ll have 4 to pick from :). The iPad version is in the works too, based on the full-sized layout. That will be sometime 2011.
When is this book coming out?
Hi Nia: Very very soon. The large format PDF eBook will be released first. We are counting days, not weeks at this point. 🙂
Hello everyone. A little bit of good news for you this morning.
The “Big Book of Font Combinations” is ready for immediate download at:
http://localhost/wordpress/the-big-book-of-font-combinations/
The first edition out the door is the large format PDF eBook. The print editions and subsequent eReaders editons are in the queue for 2011.
Hi, I want to buy your book: The big book of font combinations, but I have a problem-PAYPAL. It would be better if there would be PAYSAFE. Is there any chance to buy it on this way, becouse it’s much safer. You don’t need to give your credit number…
Thank you for your reply,
Anja, student of Graphic design
Hi Anja: Paysafe appears to be a very small-time operation. You should feel 100% confident about using Paypal. If you’d like to pay some other way, you can email me directly at douglas@bonfx.com and we can work something out. But, really, Paypal is the easiest, most universal, and safest way to pay. Good luck!