"No matter what language you speak, the characters of that language were among the first things you learned."
So begins the introduction to my new design reference, 30 Essential Typefaces for a Lifetime, edited and curated by Imin Pao and Joshua Berger. In true nerd fashion, while on holiday this summer in Europe, I hit a few museums and of course had to check out the book sections in each one. At the Georges Pompidou Centre, I cheered up, after my previous perilous incidents on the streets of Paris, when I spotted the soothing colours and elegant glossy cover of 30 Essential Typefaces. Like a tonic, I immediately felt the book would help solve some essential questions I'd been confused about for months. Whenever I was creating new print designs, I often struggled with "Which Font?" "When?" and, "Why?" Here, maybe then, were the answers I'd been seeking....perhaps not to the meaning of life....but to what were the essential fonts I should learn and understand deeply? Some have said, "....it takes 10 years for someone to master a typeface." This book claims it contains typefaces for a lifetime! Only 30 typefaces they say? Yes, totally doable!