The Ohno Book
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Ohno Book
From the cult favorite typography studio and foundry OH no Type Co. comes this richly illustrated and endlessly entertaining handbook featuring type specimens, process sketches, and instructions for creating typefaces.
The purpose of this book is to make type design fun. As author and OH no founder James Edmondson explains about type, “For me, it’s been a refuge, an infinite playground where I’m constantly excited to explore something new. It’s a place where I can exercise my need for control in a productive way.”
OH no Type Co.'s wildly imaginative fonts—including Beastly, Casserole, Hobeaux, Ohno Fatface, Polymath, Regrets, and Vulf—lend an exuberant, psychedelic flair to packaging, editorial design, gig posters, and apparel, earning the company cult-like status in the graphic design community. Edmondson shares his knowledge and passion for type design with his signature humor, candor, and warmth beloved by his many students and followers.
Along with a visual feast of fonts and signage and type ephemera, the book includes guidance and practical information for graphic designers and typographers, including:
- Expert advice on designing type fonts
- How to balance practical concerns with creativity
- Why OH no names fonts after an obscure funk band and a French school of decorative arts
- What it takes to earn a living as a type designer
- And much more
As engaging to read as it is to look at, this spirited go-to handbook is a must for all graphic and type designers looking for inspiration and instruction from a leader in the field.
TYPE DESIGN GURU: Founder James Edmondson is a sought-after instructor at California College of the Arts, Letterform Archive, and Cooper Union. He hosts the popular podcast OHNO Radio and writes the OH no Type School blog series.
INSPIRATION AND INSTRUCTION: The Ohno Book is both a treasury of type design and a practical guide to the craft. It features instruction and process notes for students of typography who want to hone or expand their design skills.
HIGHLY DESIGNED ART BOOK: Taking a cue from OH no’s brilliantly creative fonts, The Ohno Book features a richly designed, attention-grabbing cover and over 175 black-and-white illustrations throughout, perfect for cutting-edge graphic and type designers to display on a bookshelf or coffee table.
Perfect for:
- Graphic design and type design students and professionals
- Typography enthusiasts
- Collectors of lettering art design books
- Graduation and teacher gifts
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781797234199
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 20 November 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Chronicle Books
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 203.0mm
Height: 254.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 256
Collections
About the Author
James Edmondson studied graphic design at California College of the Arts and graduated from the Royal Academy of Art’s TypeMedia program in the Netherlands. Through his foundry OH no Type Co., he creates custom and retail typefaces. In 2018, James co-founded Future Fonts, a platform for distributing fonts in progress. He has taught type design at Type West at the Letterform Archive and conducted workshops through Type@Cooper Union.
More from Arts & Culture
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.