Fine Print on Type : The Best of Fine Print Magazine on Type and Typography

Date: 1989
Credits: Charles Bigelow, Paul Hayden Duensing, and Linnea Gentry (Editors)
Dimensions: Softcover, 9" wide × 12" tall
Format: Book, softcover
Publisher: Fine Print / Bedford Arts, San Francisco, California
 

Fine Print on Type: The Best of Fine Print Magazine on Type and Typography is an illustrated collection of articles originally published in Fine Print, a quarterly magazine focused on the history and development of printing and typography. Published in 1989 and edited by Charles Bigelow, Paul Hayden Duensing, and Linnea Gentry, the book brings together 35 essays by influential type designers, historians, and scholars. It explores typography's evolution from early printing traditions to twentieth-century technology, highlighting designers such as Claude Garamond, Frederic Goudy, Eric Gill, Hermann Zapf, and Victor Hammer, along with typefaces such as Garamond, Goudy Oldstyle, and the Century family.

The book examines both the history and physical production of typography, covering serif and sans serif typefaces, wood and metal type, letterpress printing, and the transition to digital type design. It explores how letterforms are constructed through proportions, stroke thickness, spacing, and serifs, while also discussing how paper, ink, and printing surfaces influence the final printed result.

It features lettering examples, historical illustrations, diagrams, and printed samples that demonstrate the construction and appearance of different typefaces. These visuals complement the written research, allowing readers to compare styles, printing methods, and approaches to letterform design. By preserving the original magazine layouts, the book serves as a reference for understanding how traditional printing practices influenced modern graphic design and digital typography.