The Elements of Typographic Style

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The Elements of Typographic Style
Cover of The Elements of Typographic Style, version 3.0 from 2004.
Author(s)	Robert Bringhurst
Country	Canada
Language	English
Subject(s)	Typography
Publisher	Hartley & Marks Publishers
Publication date	1992
Pages	254 pp (first edition)
ISBN	0-88179-110-5
OCLC Number	25411784
Dewey Decimal	686.2/24 20
LC Classification	Z246 .B74 1992

The Elements of Typographic Style is a book by Canadian typographer, poet and translator Robert Bringhurst. Originally published in 1992 by Hartley & Marks Publishers, it was revised in 1996, 2001 (v2.4), 2002 (v2.5), 2004 (v3.0), 2005 (v3.1), 2008 (v3.2), and 2012 (v4.0). A history and guide to typography, it has been praised by Hermann Zapf, who said “I wish to see this book become the Typographers’ Bible.”^[1] Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones consider it "the finest book ever written about typography," according to the FAQ section of their type foundry's website.^[2] Because of its widespread use, it is sometimes abbreviated simply as Bringhurst.^{[citation needed]}

The title alludes to The Elements of Style.

Chapters [edit]

The titles of the chapters in the book's fourth edition are as follows:

1. The Grand Design
2. Rhythm & Proportion
3. Harmony & Counterpoint
4. Structural Forms & Devices
5. Analphabetic Symbols
6. Choosing & Combining Type
7. Historical Interlude
8. Shaping the Page
9. The State of the Art
10. Grooming the Font
11. Prowling the Specimen Books

In addition to these chapters, the book also contains five appendices, an historical synopsis, a foreword, and an afterword.

Editions [edit]

• First edition: Hartley & Marks Publishers, 1992, 254pp, ISBN 0-88179-110-5 (hardcover)
• Second edition: Hartley & Marks Publishers, 1996, 352pp, ISBN 0-88179-133-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-88179-132-6 (paperback)
• Third edition: Hartley & Marks Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0-88179-205-5 (hardcover), ISBN 0-88179-206-3 (paperback)
• Fourth edition: Hartley & Marks Publishers, 2012, ISBN 0-88179-211-X (hardcover), ISBN 0-88179-212-8 (paperback)

See also [edit]

• Anatomy of a Typeface

References [edit]

1. ^ Hermann Zapf, as cited on the back cover of the book in version 4.0, ISBN 978-0-88179-212-6
2. ^ http://typography.com/ask/faq.php

External links [edit]

• The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web – an unaffiliated webpage applying the same principles to web typography
• A Classic Thesis style - An Homage to The Elements of Typographic Style – LaTeX and LyX template for dissertations, books and articles inspired by Bringhurst's book