Favourite Lettering Books Roundup

Since founding Typism in 2013, we've been lucky to meet some of the world's best lettering artists and learn from their expertise.

We've created conferences, summits, and Typism books to help bring these experts to you, but another great way to learn from the best is to read the books they've published.

To help you do that, we've put together a list of our favourite books on lettering from some of our favourite lettering artists. Most of these are physical books, so you'll need to order a copy from your favourite bookstore. We've included links to Amazon if you prefer to order from there.

House Industries Lettering Manual
by Ken Barber

Our buddy Ken Barber and the House Industries Lettering Manual is the first cab off the rank. The book design is super stylish, with metallic inks and mustard panels, but the simple way Ken breaks down design concepts makes this book a must-have. This no doubt comes from his teaching experience; he is at home teaching sans serif, serif, or script. He's got an encyclopedic knowledge of vintage letterforms, and the examples he showcases throughout the book are gorgeous.

You can find Ken as @typelettering on Instagram, and he is also part of the amazing House Industries. 

Wonder Walls
by Phoebe Cornog and Roxy Prima

Typism alumni Roxy and Phoebe, better known as PANDR Design Co., have carved out a niche for themselves as muralists over the years. They've also tried their hand at podcasting and book publishing, and the inspirational duo just keep levelling up their game with every project.

Their book takes a decorative approach to use a mural to transform your space. Phoebe and Roxy have distilled their years of mural painting experience into simple steps and projects that just about anyone can follow. If you've been toying with the idea of painting letters on the wall of your studio, this is the perfect book to help you get started.

You can follow Phoebe and Roxy's mural adventures on Instagram @pandrdesignco.

The ABC of Custom Lettering
by Ivan Castro

Ivan Castro is a calligrapher and lettering artist from Barcelona—that's him on the cover of the book. He's a retro dude who has designed some cool and quirky typefaces in his time, and this book gives you the solid foundational principles to drawing letters. Groovy and retro fonts might look loose and spontaneous, but I assure you, they are not. Ivan breaks it down for you so that you can make it look as easy as he does.

You can find Ivan here @ivancastrolettering on Instagram. 

Lettering Alphabets & Artwork
by Jay Roeder

We've been a fan of Jay's work since the early Typism Books. He always creates fun and playful lockups and combines a variety of playful hand lettering styles in his work. Jay has worked for brands such as Nike, Hilton and Subway and published three books about lettering, but this one is our favourite for beginners.

You can follow Jay on Instagram here @jayroeder.

In Progress
by Jessica Hische

If you're new to lettering, you must follow the work of Jessica; she is the original queen of custom and hand lettering. Whilst her work might be super styled and not your cup of tea, her foundational principles and developmental processes are as good as anybody's. The great thing about this book is she takes you inside her sketchbooks and shows her process from sketch to finished work. The book is also stunning, with silver ink throughout and hundreds of illustrations.

You can find Jessica on Instagram @jessicahische, but chances are you're already following her!

We hope you enjoyed this wrap-up of some of our favourite lettering books. If you find any that you love, tag us on Instagram and let us know.