Most typographic rules evolved when the printing trade held a monopoly on all things 'graphic'. These rules were established to speed up the composition of text and image at a time when printing was a labour-intensive craft. Also, typographic rules ensured standards were maintained, and that a design was technically and commercially feasible. With the rise of the graphic design industry in the 1940s and '50s, creative thinking was given a much higher priority. Accepted rules were, for the first time, called into question. However, they continued to influence graphic designers because many related to print technology, while others remained key factors in effective graphic communication.
But today typographic rules are not so much questioned as ignored. The digital revolution has granted graphic designers a new-found independence. However, rules existed for good reason -- the result of accumulated knowledge based upon practical limitations and a great deal of common sense. However, when moving, tilting, blending, reversing, polarising, filtering, layering, grading, fading, enlarging and reducing anything and everything at the move of a mouse and the press of a button, it's not surprising that many designers, when asked, reply: "Rules... What rules?" ... Rules that improve legibility, strengthen communication and make words more potent. Rules that provide the designer with invaluable knowledge about the craft of communication. Rules that encourage a more informed questioning of those same rules. This book illustrates and explains the rules of typography and presents examples of work by the world's leading designers who use and considerably extend the rules to create effective, communicative design.