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Steven Heller

Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age

Sunday I picked up a book at Hennessey + Ingalls (my local bookseller), and I spent the day marveling at the treasure trove of typographic gems it contains. The book is "Scripts: Elegant Lettering from Design's Golden Age" by the dynamic duo of Steven Heller and Louise Fili.

If you're like me, and love type—especially vintage scripts—you must get this book. The culmination of over 30 years of digging through swap meets, flea markets and antiquarian bookstores, it is a priceless collection of ephemera by two passionate collectors.

The book's 352 pages are filled with well over 300 examples from around the globe, from advertising to street signs, from type specimens to invitations and personal letters, spanning the period from the 19th to the mid-20th century. I could spend days poring over this book. It is as rich a collection of typographic material as I have seen in years—and much of it I have never seen before. I LOVE this book!

The book is readily available from Amazon.com, but (personal note) why not shop locally and check out the book in person at your nearby (non-chain) bookstore? You might pay a few dollars more, and it might not be as "convenient", but in this day and age wouldn't it be worth it to give them your support?

Is Steinweiss Your Type? Pre-Valentine's Sale!

R U My Type? Mark your iCals! The Steinweiss Script 20% off sale will begin on Tuesday, February 8th.

Steinweiss is the perfect type for helping to pull you out of your shell, and getting you to express your most heartfelt sentiments.

Available in Bold, Medium and Light, or all together as a loving Family.

Just go to MyFonts on (or after) February 8th to hook up.

If you'd like to cozy up and get more familiar with Steinweiss before jumping into a serious relationship, read Steven Heller's recent Imprint article. Steinweiss Script also features prominently in the lovingly composed interview I just did for Creative Characters.

American Trademarks: A Compendium

While they were in print, the three volumes of Eric Baker and Tyler Blik's classic Trademarks series (which together sold 60,000 copies) were the authoritative books of logo design by decade. I had the distinct privilege of designing the covers for the first two. Many is the time that people have mentioned to me that they have those books, and had no idea that I had done the covers!

This definitive collection is now available from Chronicle Books in an expanded single volume with essays and samples of the work of 17 contemporary graphic designers (including myself), and with an introduction by Steven Heller. Over 1,000 iconic trademarks are packed into this extra-chunky paperback. While the original books have long enjoyed cult status, this attractive, updated edition will win legions of new fans among today's ever-increasingly design-savvy public. So run don't walk to your nearest purveyor of fine books, and snatch a copy before they're all gone.