This book made me suck in breath when I opened it. Hot pink and black, text and patterns! This book is graphic designer Judith Schalansky’s ode to Blackletter type which is all those fancy gothic looking typefaces created in Western Europe around 1150-1500. This gorgeous gorgeous hardcover book showcases 333 typefaces and also gives you a cd in the back so you can use them to your enjoyment. And four typefaces were created exclusively for this book. Every spread has the right side with the complete set of characters and on the facing page- drum roll please- a pattern made from the typeface somehow. Either a letter is repeated and rotated to make a tight swirling design or several characters together form a unique clump of beauty and then repeat. They are so striking in black and pink and it is such a fun idea for showcasing type. As an object to hold and flip through this book is stunning but then I think about that cd and how it also gives me all those fonts to work with- treasure! Thanks Princeton Architectural Press for sending this over! Get yours here.

© Julia Rothman 2007