Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Since its initial publication in Berlin in 1928, Jan Tschichold's The New Typography has been recognized as the definitive treatise on book and graphic design in the machine age. At once a key theoretical document of Central European modernism between the world wars and an invaluable source of working principles for the practicing designer, this classic work enjoys the reputation among book artists that Le Corbusier's Toward a New Architecture has long held among architects.

The book's legendary renown is certain to increase with the long-overdue appearance of this first English translation, published in a form that reflects Tschichold's original typography and design. Ranging from theoretical discussions of typography in the age of photography and mechanical standardization to practical considerations in the design of business forms, The New Typography remains essential reading for designers, art historians, and all those concerned with the evolution of visual communication in the twentieth century.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

The publication in English of this seminal work on 20th-century typography is long overdue. First published in 1928 in Germany and out of print for many years, this text has been recognized as one of the most important statements of modern typographical design. This curious and fascinating work ranges through theories of social criticism, art history, architecture, and the emerging importance of photography as it sets forth very definite guidelines regarding the design of printed materials. The final sections are indeed practical guidelines, down to sheet sizes and appropriate mixes of type, for the day-to-day use of working designers and printers. In addition to presenting a clear and faithful translation from the German, the new edition takes special care with design and appearance, closely duplicating the type and layout used in the original. A clear introduction places the work in the context of such movements as the Bauhaus, Constructivism in Art, Marxism in political and economic thought, and National Socialism. Essential for libraries with any special interest in the graphic arts and worthwhile for all libraries collecting in the area of design, it should also have a place in all larger art history collections.-Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., N.Y. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Like other spokespeople of the European avant-garde, Tschichold proclaimed a stylistic revolution in Die neue Typographie, first published in Berlin in 1918. Tschichold called for radical changes in the design of all kinds of printed matter--books, magazines, posters, and business forms--arguing that traditional styles could no longer meet the demands of modern industrial society. As an alternative, he proposed a bold, dynamic, daringly asymmetrical system of design, eschewing ornament, favoring rude sans serif types, and evoking the abstract art and experimental graphics of like-minded contemporaries such as Kurt Schwitters, Man Ray, and El Lissitzky. Tschichold's theories greatly influenced the work of modern typographers, even though he later conceded that his approach was better suited for magazines and posters than for books, which he designed using classic typefaces and a traditional layout after emigrating from Germany in the 1930s. This serviceable and accurate translation includes a historical introduction by Robin Kinross and a separate section listing some of the textual revisions Tschichold made in 1967 after changing his mind about book typography. The publishers have replicated the design of the original edition. An essential text for understanding contemporary trends in visual communication. J. Bidwell; Princeton University