104 Typefaces Book
Spring 2024 | Adobe InDesign, Typography Cataloging, Book Design, Printing, and Binding
Printing and Binding my Book
Cover, Spine, Back
Book Pages
What is this project?
For this project, I curated a Type Specimen Catalog that showcased a variety of typefaces, organized by category and letter. I selected final photos from field trips where I captured images corresponding to different typeface categories, including sans serif, serif, slab serif, and cursive/decorative/blackletter, with each photo representing a specific letter in the alphabet. The photos were carefully organized in Dropbox by letter and typeface category, with filenames like A_Sans_1, A_Serif_2, etc., ensuring easy navigation and clarity. This organization laid a strong foundation for creating a well-structured and cohesive catalog.
How did I prepare?
To prepare for the project, I first reviewed my photographs and categorized them by typeface family. I researched each typeface to gather important details such as the typeface's name, author, weight, and key design characteristics. I then created a roadmap for the catalog’s layout, which would include the typefaces’ character maps and weight maps to provide a comprehensive overview of each font’s features. The catalog was designed with a strict black-and-white color palette, using Open Sans as the body typeface (except for the front cover), maintaining a consistent, professional visual presentation. I ensured that each typeface was represented by the weight closest to the one in the photograph.
How did I put my plan into action?
Once I had the photos and content organized, I moved on to creating the Type Specimen Catalog itself. I used the gathered information to create detailed entries for each typeface, applying them to character and weight maps in the catalog template. I designed the catalog with careful attention to detail, adhering to the monochrome aesthetic and ensuring consistency across all pages. I also designed the front cover, spine, back cover, and introductory pages. The front cover highlighted the diversity and sophistication of the typefaces, prominently displaying the catalog title and my name. The spine and back cover continued the visual theme, while the introductory page provided context for the project. I also created a table of contents and tabs to separate each letter of the alphabet for easier navigation.
What were my results and lessons?
The final results were a clean, professional Type Specimen Catalog that met the project’s objectives. The catalog provided a comprehensive view of each typeface’s design, with clear organization and detailed information. The challenge of balancing creative design with detailed typographic analysis was rewarding, and I learned how crucial attention to detail and thorough research is in creating a successful type specimen catalog. The iterative process of selecting and organizing the typefaces, researching their characteristics, and refining the catalog's layout taught me valuable lessons in both typography and design organization. The feedback received during critique sessions helped me improve the design, particularly in areas like the table of contents, tabs, and consistency of visual presentation.