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Hanging by a serif

A few words about designing with words

Text & design by John D. Berry

A small book of epigrams, insights on the nature and practice of typography and design, Hanging by a serif presents each statement on its own page, the text juxtaposed with a single graphic element: an enlarged detail of a serif, each one from a different typeface. The playful presentation belies the underlying seriousness and usefulness of the advice.

Hanging by a serif is available in two forms: as a booklet, where the epigrams are composed in double-page spreads; and as a set of cards, with each epigram on its own separate card. The booklets are saddle-stitched and printed on Cougar Opaque; the cards are printed on a heavy, textured card stock and bound together with a paper belly band (a “book obi”) that can be removed. Both are digitally printed, with a trim size of 4.75″×7″.

New edition, Dec 2019. Now available in a second, revised edition, with one epigram and one serif replaced. (Can you tell which?) Perfect for all your philosophically minded design friends. (Yes, there are still a few sets of the cards left.)