Anatomy of a Typeface

The book is notable for devoting entire chapters to the development and uses of individual or small groupings of typefaces. Beyond Anatomy of a Typeface Lawson has considered and discussed the classification of types. Within Anatomy, Lawson arranges the typefaces by classification. In his preface, Lawson qualifies his classification: "After using this system in the teaching of typography over a thirty-year period, I know that it is reasonably effective in the initial study of printing types. I am not disposed to consider it faultless by any means. A classification system, after all, is simply a tool ... Its primary purpose is to help people become familiar with these forms preparatory to putting them to effective and constructive typographic use."[1]

Following are the thirty-one chapters of Anatomy of a Typeface:

• the Black-letter Types: Goudy Text and Hammer Uncial;

• Old Style Types: Cloister Old Style, Centaur, Bembo, Arrighi, Dante, Goudy Old Style, Palatino, Garamond, Galliard, Granjon, Sabon, Janson, Caslon, Baskerville, Bodoni, Bulmer, Bell, Oxford, Caledonia, Cheltenham, and Bookman;

• Newspaper Types: Times Roman;

• Twentieth-century Gothics: Franklin Gothic;

• Square-serif Revival: Clarendon;

• Humanist Sans-serif Types: Optima;
• Geometric Sans-serif Types: Futura;

• Script, Cursive, and Decorated Types; Type Making from Punch to Computer.[1]

The third printing of Anatomy appeared in 2002.

• The Elements of Typographic Style