The Visible Word: Problems of Legibility by Herbert Spencer. First published in June 1969 in a restricted edition, the is the 2nd revised ed., 1969. Visual Communication Books, Hastings House, New York, USA. 8.5 x 12, pp. 108. Designed by Herbert Spencer; Senior Research Fellow at the Royal College of Art, London.
Revised from a report prepared as part of a program of research into the readability of print in information publishing. Heavily illustrated with black and white examples and an extensive Introduction by the author. This book describes significant proposals for insuring more efficient communications, from the earliest recorded tests of legibility in Paris during the 1790’s to the present.
A thoughtful analysis featuring sections devoted to: Investigating legibility, Results of research, Relationship between content and form, Capitals vs. Lower case, Bold face types, Italics, Numerals, Punctuation marks, Type size, line length and leading, Unjustified setting, Paragraphs and indentation, Margins, Page size, Non-horizontal alignment, Paper and ink, Summary, and Towards a new alphabet. With a Glossary and extensive Bibliography including 464 entries at the end.
Nearly fine black cloth cover boards in a very good, uncommon and easily abused dust jacket with a small stain, light rubbing and hint of wear along the edges. Some spreads are lightly cracked revealing the colored backstrip.