I would like to have a discussion about FONTS.

[CTyankee]

This is for my book, The Gladdened Heart, which is about the relationship over the ages of music and art. Since my book will cover art from The Ghent Altarpiece all the way through a discussion about the art of music album covers of the 1970s, lutes to toots so to speak (sorry).

Since this book covers many centuries of western art, it is hard to envision a type font that can work for all of them. Right now I am looking at Bembo.

Any suggestions from you book designers out there? (I am self publishing)

[Bobstandard]

1. Garamond baby, Garamond! n/t

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Are you talking about the font for the text of the book?

Stick with the tried and true.

As Bobstandard says, Garamond.

Another bit of advice. Please do NOT put a space between paragraphs the way we do here and in other on-line places. In a book you need to do normal paragraphing, with the first line indented 3-5 spaces. In printed work, the space between paragraphs indicates a change of time or place, and is hideously distracting if it's every paragraph.

[CTyankee]

4. will this work well with the art dropped in?

I don't want the text to "fight" with art piece it describes. And I envision a graceful, flowing text...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. Perhaps if there's only a very small amount of text

you could get away with something nonstandard. However, it will make your book a lot harder to read.

Go to the library and look at art books. See what kind of font they use.

You could also consider hiring someone who will help you figure these things out. It would probably be well worth it.

One of the reasons I tend to shy away from self-published books is that not only is it trickier and more difficult that people realize, but they do things like the space between paragraphs or unusual fonts which make the whole thing like amateurish and difficult to read. Also, professionally published books often go through multiple editors, each one looking at something different. You can consider hiring some of those different kinds of editors, or at least learn what they are, so you can do that kind of editing yourself in separate passes.

I believe David Dvorkin, who is here on DU, assists in self-publishing. You could PM him and see what he says.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. The problem with graceful, flowing fonts is that they are often hard to read.

A simple serifed font is easiest to read; a nonstandard font is fine for chapter titles and that sort of thing but not so much for text. The suggestion in another post that you look at art books for ideas is a good one. The art itself should stand out while the text should be comfortable to read.

[CTyankee]

7. You are right. I should have used better language to describe what I mean.

Good idea about art books. I have so many!

I think I mean what you say, but you have said it better.

I've looked at a ton of fonts on a website that illustrates them (huge list) in text, caliigrophy, and Italics, serif and sans serif.

Here is my thought: I need a font that will be graceful, but not distracting. Something that enhances the text and the art, and does not distract.

This is a bit daunting...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. I like Book Antiqua and Garamond for just about anything.

[CTyankee]

10. Garamond has a nice feel and a lovely italic. Simple elegance.

[NCjack]

3. Comic sans MS or Chalkboard.

[Blue Owl]

8. Very funny

[csziggy]

11. If you want to ask a professional, go to this forum:

http://desktoppublishingforum.com/

There are people there that set up books for publication and are devoted font lovers. I used to hang out with that crowd back on CompuServe and they are good people. You will have to register, but they will not spam you, though they may send you a happy birthday greeting for years after you stop posting.

[CTyankee]

12. Thanks for the find! Sounds like my kind of people!

[uriel1972]

13. Whatever you choose...

please make legibility a priority. I say this as a reader.

[Tracer]

14. As a long time graphic designer, I recommend

Meridien for a serif face and if you wanted a sans serif, go with Frutiger.

Garamond is a little too much for a lot of text.

[CTyankee]

15. How do you see this as working with all eras of western art and with the theme of art

depicting musical instruments? Is there something special about these two typefaces?

I looked them up and they are both beautiful. I do like the serif face.

Can this be easily accessed on a Mac? My daughter is my designer and she uses the Mac often, but not exclusively.

I am putting this is Google Publish, btw...