TypeMedia Books

TypeMedia is a master course and not really a publisher of books and yet somehow we always seem to get involved in bookish projects. This is not strange as we love typography, but it means we lack some distribution efforts and commerce. This page is an incomplete record of such publications. If titles are still available there is a link to the publisher. We will continue to add to this list.

TypeMedia has some of these titles in stock, and can be for sale during events as Open Days and graduation exhibitions. We do not take online orders.

These images are from the archives of Peter Verheul, Erik van Blokland.

Image: Noordzij Estate

The stroke, theory of writing
Gerrit Noordzij

Reprint of the 2005 Hyphen Press edition with minor text corrections by the author. New cube illustration Just van Rossum.
The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, 2021 [86 pp] 125 × 210 mm

→ Order at Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, Amsterdam.

Image: Berserik

Lettercarving for typedesigners, a handbook
Françoise Berserik

‘This handbook was written for the students of Type and Media. Its aim is to explain how to carve letters in stone. It describes the course, which consists of a sequence of three carving exercises and many practical aspects relating to these, such as choosing and preparing stone, learning about tools, and sketching and making a new drawing for lettering that is suitable for carving.’
The Hague: Erven Berserik Uitgeverij, 2024 [84 pp] 210 × 170 mm

→ Order at De Beeldhouwwinkel, The Hague.

Image: TypeMedia

Type Friends
Students of the class of 25. Céline Hurka, Mălin Neamțu (ed.)

“This book displays the work of the Type and Media master programme’s class of 2025. Each student was assigned a space of twelve pages to design and showcase their work. The projects took place at the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, in 2024 amd 2025.”
The Hague: Lulu Press, 2025 [162 pp] 130 × 205 mm

Image: KABK

Het primaat van de pen: een workshop letterontwerpen met Gerrit Noordzij
Mathieu Lommen, Anno Fekkes, Jan Willem Stas, et al.

Published for the Gerrit Noordzij prize in 2001. The book documents a workshop with students at the Christelijke Hogeschool voor de Kunsten ‘Constantijn Huygens’, though KABK students also attended. It contains a reflection of the workshop by Gerrit Noordzij, and a selection of short statements of people who studied with Noordzij at various moments in his career.
Den Haag: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, (February 16, 2001) [48 pp] 155 × 220 mm

Image: Hyphen Press

Type now: a manifesto
Fred Smeijers

Essays by Fred Smeijers on different aspects of the type design practice. Produced after the 2001 GNp for Fred Smeijers. ‘… The first part of this book is a personal statement. Fred Smeijers considers the gains and also the illusions and pitfalls of technical advance. Bringing a deep historical awareness to bear on the topic, he puts this brief recent phase into perspective. Along the way are sharp remarks on the place of the designer in the social world, on the question of copying and copyright.’ Mathieu Lommen wrote: ‘As is well known, there are quite a few good type designers in the Netherlands. In this company, Fred Smeijers is one of the most authentic and many-sided’
London: Hyphen Press, 2003 [142 pp] 16 pages in color. 140 × 220 mm

Image: KABK

Tobias Frere-Jones Gerrit Noordzij Prize Exhibition
Dawn Barrett, Matthew Carter, Natalia Ilyin, Sasha Frere-Jones, Chris Vermaas, Tobias Frere-Jones, Friends of the Gerrit Noordzij prize

In 2006 Tobias Frere-Jones received the The Gerrit Noordzij prize. This book was published in 2009 for the exhibition. Contains a history of the Gerrit Noordzij prize. A biography. An interview in which Tobias answers questions from TypeMedia students. An essay by Chris Vermaas. A reprint of an essay by Tobias ‘Towards the cause of Grunge’, originally published in Zed, 1994. additonal short texts by Natalia Ilyin, Sasha Frere-Jones, students et al.
Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, 2009 [92 pp] 156 × 221 mm

Image: KABK

Reprint Karel Martens
In 2009 Karel Martens received the The Gerrit Noordzij prize. This book was published in 2012 for the exhibition. Contains graphic work by Karel Martens. Reprints of essays by David Bennewith (‘Taught’) and Robin Kinross (‘His prints’), and the GNp jury report.
The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, Amsterdam: Roma Publications, 2012 [84 pp] 156 × 221 mm

Image: KABK

Wim Crouwel Gerrit Noordzij prize
Ben Bos, Tony Brook, Tobias Frere-Jones, Karel Martens, David Quay

The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, 2012 [64 pp] 156 × 221 mm

Image: KABK

TypeMedia Paper #1 2017. Some of the activities of the TypeMedia class of 2016-2017.
Overview of the course, a record of a popup exhibition of carvings by Françoise Berserik, sketches by TM students, Photos of visits to Berlin, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Antwerp. Printed on newsprint
The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, 2017 [24 pp] 165 × 240 mm

Image: KABK

Products of a Thinking Hand / Cyrus Highsmith / Gerrit Noordzij prize
Jan Middendorp, Indra Kupferschmid, David Berlow, Cyrus Highsmith, Marja van der Burgh (ed.)

In 2015 Cyrus Highsmith received the Gerrit Noordzij Prize. This book was published in 2018 for the exhibition. 2015 GNp Jury Report. An interview with Cyrus Highsmith by Jan Middendorp. Highsmith’s later work analysed by Indra Kupferschmid. David Berlow on Highsmith’s sketching process. Cyrus himself writes about his sketchbooks.
The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, 2018 [64 pp] 165 × 240 mm

Image: KABK

Haagse Letters
Mathieu Lommen, Peter Verheul

Type design at the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague. Published for the occasion of the 1996 ATypI conference in The Hague. Articles by Gerrit Noordzij, Frank E. Blokland, Peter Matthias Noordzij, Peter Verheul, Petr van Blokland, Mathieu Lommen. Contains an overview of typefaces and lettering 1978-1996, biographies and index.
The Hague: Royal Academy of Art, Amsterdam: Uitgeverij de Buitenkant, 1996 [72 pp] 150 × 250 mm

Image: KABK

The stroke of the pen: fundamental aspects of western writing
Gerrit Noordzij

The Hague: Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, 1982 [52 pp]