1. Squawk

   It’s funny that you mention the chocolate letters. In the Netherlands chocolate initials are traditional presents for Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas). That being said your timing for this post is just a little late, but still very much relevant.

   Just found this: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=521

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

2. johno (iLT)

   Squawk
   I think you mentioned those before; I was racking my brain, trying to remember where I heard about them. Thanks for the link. And congratulations on being at the top of the Best CSS Design of 2007 list.

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

3. Hamish M

   Wow. Great ideas Johno! Now if only my friends and family were as crazy about type as I am… (I’m trying to get my coworkers more into it, with some success, hehe)

   Also, congrats to you and Squawk on your Best CSS Designs of 2007 mentions. They’re well deserved.

   Merry Christmas everyone!

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

4. Gia

   May I suggest adding anything from FontSmith to that wonderful Christmas font purchasing list? :) For instance, let’s say FS Lola. Well, at least that’s my present this year.

   I think I might end up getting Aviano Slab as well and Montelago from Astigmatic….

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

5. Dan Reynolds

   To vouch for LoC: You’ll hear constant buzz about Letters of Credit on Typophile, and it comes up more often than other books so far in classes at Reading (except maybe for Harry Carter’s A View of Early Typography: Up to About 1600 or James Mosely’s The Nymph and the Grot). The book is divided sort of into two parts. The first describes type production from say the late 1800s through to the 1970s or 80s, including a sometimes-but-not-always commendable method of letter fitting.

   The second section is golden. It has profiles of the work of Dwiggins, Koch, Goudy, van Krimpen, and on Stanley Morison’s work on Times New Roman. If you didn’t love TNR before you read that chapter, you will when it is over. There really aren’t that many concise written summaries of the work of Dwiggins, Koch, Goudy, or van Krimpen in English.

   For Koch, you’d have to go back to an article or two from the 1920s in The Fleuron, although a big extensive historical retrospective book was published about him around 2000.

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

6. Dan Reynolds

   Since the English-edition of While You’re Reading has only recently just been released, at Reading we’re all busy reading While You’re Reading. Sorry, that is a bit of a pun, but since the cover is shown up in the post, I had to do it!

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

7. johno (iLT)

   Dan
   No doubt you were all hUNGERing to read it too.

   ^Dec9²⁰⁰⁷

8. Alec

   Awesome gift ideas! Now how do I make subtle overtures to my family and friends to read this post?…

   ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

9. zachary

   I definitely agree with Dan on Letters of Credit. It’s not available new on amazon.com, but it seems to be available on the publisher’s website http://www.godine.com

   Another book Dan mentioned which I fully agree with is Counterpunch, but a new edition is supposed to be out in early 2008 so that should be a gift for next year. I know I’ll be getting myself one.

   Another gift possibility is a DVD of Helvetica the documentary. There are also still a few screenings coming up. I went to a screening a couple months ago and ordered the DVD after that with two buttons that say “I love Helvetica” and “I hate Helvetica.” If you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend it.

   ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

10. inspirationbit

    I can’t believe how fast this Christmas is approaching, I better hurry up with my xmas presents. Speaking of the chocolate letters, I usually buy them (big chunky ones) for my cake decorations - just the initials of whose birthday it is. As it turns out, those letters are imported here (Canada) from the Netherlands ;-)

    Sorry to hear about the loss of your notebooks, Johno. So are you back in Japan now? It’s the most hectic time to fly now.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

11. Régis Kuckaertz

    … or why not choose one of those marvelous Font Clocks featuring not less than 12 typefaces:

    Small
    Medium
    Large

    Found this in I.D. and thought you might be interested ;-)

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

12. johno (iLT)

    Alec
    That’s tricky, but you could accidentally subscribe to iLT when you’re using their computer, and leave print-outs of this article around the house ;)

    Vivien (inspirationbit)
    Yes, back in Japan now. I guess I’d better start my shopping!

    Zachary
    How could I forget the Helvetica movie! Thanks for the reminder.

    Régis
    Thanks for the link. Yes, interested :)

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

13. erik spiekermann

    Nice video. Too bad that all apostrophes disappeared and were replaced by foot marks. I’d like to point out that al fonts shown in FontBook do have an apostrophe as well as proper quote marks. They can be used without any extra software, just by using the proper keystrokes.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

14. Hamish M

    Vivien (inspirationbit)
    I’d love to know where you find those Chocolate letters in Canada! :)

    Johno
    I’m shipping your Helvetica DVD today. I hope it arrives before Christmas!

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

15. plain*clothes

    superb recommendations! I just have to take issue with one point:

    relive the good old days of the best Design magazine ever to grace the news-stands

    have we forgotten Critique so quickly?

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

16. Dan Reynolds

    Yes.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

17. inspirationbit

    Hamish
    I checked out your site to see where abouts do you live in Canada - looks like you live in Montreal now? I live in Vancouver and saw those letters just last week at London Drugs. Also they always sell them at the Lonsdale Quay (North Vancouver) chocolate shop. :-)

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

18. Dan Reynolds

    Sorry about that last comment of mine, plain*clothes ;-) Critique was nice, and sadly too short-lived. But it was no Emigre.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

19. Hamish M

    Vivien (inspirationbit)
    Thanks! No London Drugs here, but our equivalent, Jean Coutu might have it. I’ll look into it!

    By the way, I was born in Vancouver (as mentioned on my site…) — have you always lived there?

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

20. Robert

    Now if only my girlfriend was crazy about type as I am, I know she would love the type chocolates :) I have to send this link to my secret santa and hope they will get me something nice ha ha. :) Good Stuff!

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

21. johno (iLT)

    Erik
    Thank you. Yes, I noticed that too, but as it’s my first video with iMovie, I was stumbling around, not really knowing what I was doing. I’m in the process of fixing it; hopefully this time my apostrophes will show as apostrophes — fingers crossed. (Now fixed.)

    I was also hoping that this poorly produced video would inspire someone else (with the requisite skills) to produce a much slicker version. My initial idea for the video was to have a Moses-like figure coming down from Mount Sanai, not with the Ten Commandments, but with a copy of FontBook. If there are any clever video producers out there listening…

    Robert
    Introducing your girlfriend to type via chocolate — sounds like a smart idea.

    plain*clothes
    Sorry, but Emigre has a place in my heart. It still brings tears of joy to my eyes. I’d like to be buried with a copy :) (hopefully in the very distant future, of course).

    Dan
    I think you’ve already given me enough material for a Type Humour article.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

22. inspirationbit

    Hamish
    I’ve lived in Vancouver since 2000. Hope you can find those letters in Montreal.

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

23. Manuel Martensen

    Know what? You would have never won that CSS award with that old ugly sidebar of yours (you know what i am talking about)… Hehe :)

     
    Have a christmas of the merry type, dearest John!

    ^Dec10²⁰⁰⁷

24. Dylan

    I recently found my latest pressie to myself, Typography papers 6, here in Sydney.
    Letter’s of Credit is a great read. It’s full of Walter Tracy’s opinions, some of which you may not agree with.

    ^Dec11²⁰⁰⁷

25. johno (iLT)

    Manuel
    You’re my CSS conscience. Have a great Christmas too. Hope you’re doing well, friend.
    PS: thanks for the CSS tips :)

    Dylan
    A fine gift indeed.

    ^Dec11²⁰⁰⁷

26. leah

    Where oh where did those delectable initial-mugs come from? I followed the link but found only the chocolate initials (delectable in their own way).

    What a great line-up of typography-related bliss! That’s what Christmas is really all about — great type.

    (Or am I missing something?) : )

    ^Dec11²⁰⁰⁷

27. johno (iLT)

    Leah
    Nice to see you here again. From being a regular lurker, you’re now a regular contributor :) I’ve fixed that link (thanks), and I’ve also added those beautiful Wood Type cards.

    ^Dec11²⁰⁰⁷

28. Leah

    Johno,
    Sweet, thanks! And yes, once I delurk, I generally continue to make my presence known. Hehe. : )

    ^Dec13²⁰⁰⁷

29. Steven

    Hi there,

    I like your suggestion of TheSans. What is a good accompanying font to go with TheSans SemiBold?

    ^Dec15²⁰⁰⁷

30. Régis Kuckaertz

    Not strictly type-related, but still…

    I’ve just discovered something I couldn’t stand not to share right now with all of you: an english company is creating wall murals, from images taken out of famous art&design places such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. There’s this beautiful set of Edward Lear’s nonsense alphabet in “Collections > V&A > Edward Lear - Alphabet”, wouldn’t it look superb on one of your office’s walls? :-)

    ^Dec15²⁰⁰⁷

31. johno (iLT)

    Régis
    That’s a wonderful link! A little on the pricey side however; all the same, it’s stunning.

    ^Dec21²⁰⁰⁷

32. forum

    Very good article.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ^Apr8²⁰⁰⁸

33. sinema

    hehe, Awesome gift ideas..
    i love it..

    ^Apr11²⁰⁰⁸

1. blog.rightreading.com » Friday Roundup—Dec 14, 2007
2. Late kerstkado’s « BladBlog—Dec 22, 2007
3. wondering journal » archief » (chocolate) typography—Dec 23, 2007
4. FontBook | i love typography, the typography blog—Jan 24, 2008
5. Late kerstkado’s—Apr 30, 2008

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