Never use Futura

Never use Futura

Douglas Thomas, 1981-

Book - 2017

"It's everywhere, including the moon (on the commemorative plaque left by Apollo 11 astronauts), Nike sneakers, the artworks of Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, and Jenny Holzer, 2001: A Space Odyssey credits, Domino's Pizza boxes, Absolut Vodka bottles, and Red Bull cans. Richard Nixon used it for his presidential campaign, as did Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Futura is one of the most used fonts in the world today--the typeface of modern design--more so even than Helvetica. This fascinating book explores the cultural history and uses of a face that's so common you might not notice, until you start looking, and then you can't escape it. Douglas Thomas traces Futura from its Bauhaus-inspired origin in Paul Renner's 1924 d...esign, to its current role as the go-to choice for corporate work, logos, motion pictures, and advertisements. Never Use Futura is illuminating, sometimes playful, reading, not just for type nerds, but for anyone interested in how typefaces are used, take on meaning, and become a language of their own"--

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Location Call Number   Status
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Subjects
1900-1999
Type and type-founding > History > 20th century.
Graphic design (Typography) > Social aspects.
Graphic design (Typography) > United States > History > 20th century.
Advertising layout and typography > United States > History > 20th century.
DESIGN > Reference.
DESIGN > Graphic Arts > Typography.
Graphic design (Typography) > History > United States > 20th century.
Advertising layout and typography > History > United States > 20th century.
Advertising layout and typography.
Graphic design (Typography)
Type and type-founding.
United States.
History.
Genres
History
Published
New York, NY : Princeton Architectural Press [2017]
Language
English
Main Author
Douglas Thomas, 1981- (author)
Other Authors
Ellen Lupton (writer of foreword)
Physical Description
207 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 21 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781616895723
  • Foreword, Futura! / Ellen Lupton
  • Back to the Futura
  • My other modernism is in Futura
  • Spartan geometry
  • Degenerate typography
  • Over the moon for Futura
  • Futura in the wild
  • Show me the money
  • Past, present, Futura
  • Futura by any other name
  • Never use Futura?
Review by Choice Review

Other than the movie Helvetica (2007), this reviewer cannot think of anything in popular culture that goes into as much detail about a single typeface as does Never Use Futura. Thomas (Brigham Young Univ.) offers a thoroughly researched, exhaustively documented story of a typeface that is so ubiquitous that to remove it would be to erase much of what today's world looks like. The book is extremely readable, with a breezy style and an almost gossipy, "did you know" tone. Well, this reviewer--himself a font designer--did not know a lot of what Thomas tells here. The book would be a terrific source of information for graduate students who want a semiotic analysis of a style or genre, or a researcher wanting to trace the influence of a particular motif through various iterations. Thomas does just that with his recounting of artist Barbara Kruger's use of a 1946 movie poster for her style standards and then the appropriation of Kruger by others, including the fashion brand Supreme. Never before has font design moved so prominently into the psyche of the common person. This book both reflects and accelerates that trend. Summing Up: Essential. All readers. --Steven Skaggs, University of Louisville

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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