I own a handful of books on typography and while they’re educational and inspiring, the overall design isn’t all that beautiful. They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but for a designer, that’s easier said than done.

While the titles on my bookshelf covered the history of typography, there weren’t many images. I wanted to see more visuals of type specimens and the effects history and design trends had on typography as a whole. I knew that there had to be some meatier books out there that covered what I was looking for.

Then, I discovered Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles (try saying that 10 times fast!) and it was perfect. Comprised of two volumes, this book is a visual masterpiece. The first book covers pre-20th century type specimens while the second covers 1900 through the mid 20th century.

Weighing in at 720 pages, this book expertly traces the history of the printed letterform and has snippets from signs, books, catalogs and more. In my opinion, it’s a total must-have.

Featured title: Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles
Photos and scans: Shauna Haider