typography typesetting typing herb lubalin

Herb Lubalin, one of Larry's idols, with Ralph and Shoshana Ginzburg, created publications Fact, Eros, Moneysworth, Avant Garde.
And the stimulating typographic newspaper, U&lc, with Aaron Burns.

He type directed the CBS cafeteria wall with Lou Dorfsman of CBS.

Herb also created many typefaces with experts including
Tony DiSpigna, Tom Carnase, Ed Benguiat, Aaron Burns, Ernie Smith.

He was ambidextrous and ambitalented as both writer and art director.
His typographic invention and taste were legendary.
The Beethoven and Bartók of typography.

Herb's work influenced me in many ways. I flatter myself that my
Paper Train Your Dog newspaper
in turn influenced Herb's series of posters including this
(fourth image down)
and many designers who now play with notched type units.
Let us help you pick the right typeface.
It's fun and important but let's go further.
Many desktop publishing designers use the same two typefaces, Times Roman and Helvetica—

or go nuts with a wild blizzard of typefaces.

Even if you wish to appear conventional, there are many choices other than Times for text or Helvetica for a display typeface.
Let us help you mix the right typefaces. To mix an effective combination of typefaces.

That's the art. Mixing.
That's the craft. Combining.
That's the real skill. Relating.
And the real fun.

Example of refinement
beforeaftercolumns1.html.

Test of refinement:
How do you letterspace a typographic picket fence with round basketballs dropped in the middle?
(For example, Let's mix
the tried-n-true combination:
Century Old Style and ITC Franklin Gothic Heavy.)

(For example, avoid Century Old Style with any Garamond, or with Galliard. Avoid ITC Franklin Gothic with Helvetica or with Frutiger, or Helvetica with Frutiger. Frutiger and Galliard? What do you think?)

Let Listen, Write, Design, help you make the best type design choices, using our large type library.

We'll set "dummy" headlines and body copy so you can see dramatically how our creativity will enhance yours.

We can help you buy digital type, too. You know, there is no substitute for a really good type library.
Ask us to help fix up your type layout. Via PDF.

Example of refinement:
beforeafterdropcaps1.html
Via PDF, inexpensively, like our basic design consulting service

Maybe your columns are the wrong width, typeface too small, line spacing too tight, text hard to read or inappropriate for subject matter.

Perhaps paragraphs are too long, hy-phe-na-
tion too frequent, subheads too weak.

Example: Does coworker hyphenate as cow-
orker?

If you prefer to be outrageous and contrarian, we will lead you to out-of-the-box typography.

Example: Everyone tries to avoid typographic widows. But in ads, they can enhance readability.

We'll help you revamp your project by looking at the big typographic concept and the small typographic details that make it really work.
Here are three ways Listen, Write, Design, and outside typesetters can refine your actual typesetting.
To one of three ascending levels.

Example of refinement
beforeafterheadlines1.html
Level 1. Good. Lowest cost.
We'll provide type specs you can implement on your own, including:
Typeface,
size,
width,
leading,
spacing,
hyphenation.

You do the rest. This approach gives you the the most fun, the most work.

Use Level 1 for any job where the quality of the impression you make

can enhance or hurt company image,

can enhance or hurt your relationships with financial resources,

can enhance or hurt the possibility of selling your company.

Level 2. Better. Moderate cost.
We will upgrade your typesetting in our shop. We might take time to respace an entire character set of a given typeface. We'll pay attention to subtle two–letter kerning, adjust line breaks in heads and subheads, and in text if it's needed. We'll go a lot further than you would but we won't go bananas.

Use Level 2 for any important job except those we mention below.

Level 3. Best. And expensive.
We'll send the work out to the finest type shops and guide them. They will reset your type in New York or Toronto from scratch to the highest standards. La crème de la crème. Fussy? You don't want to know! This is the CadillacLexusAudiInfinitiBMW of typesetting.

Use Level 3 for national or regional ads of half–to full–page size, for annual reports, for any four–color job that really needs to make an impression of uncompromising quality.

(And don't let your printer ruin it by using their "house sheet" — usually an OK but not impressive paper stock selection. Printers should discount paper if you use a house sheet.)