Even if you say book design in a word, how much you can design depends on the publisher and the book. What they have in common is the "outer" part of the book. Of course, we design and design covers and belts, but we also direct and design a variety of things such as the types of paper for doors and facing sheets, the types of spins, and the colors of flower cloth. The first stage is repetition of meetings, ordering work, confirmation, etc., and the actual design is after all the materials are gathered. Naturally dealing with letters is also the last part of the design.


The difficult part of book design for literary books (such as novels) is that you have to convey the content without spoiling it. I'm always thinking about how to adjust the scoop so that readers can expect what the story is like when they pick up the cover. With that in mind, the cover of a literary book may be close to a movie trailer. If the cover is the Video, the sash wrapped around it is narrated. For hours, immersing yourself in the narrative world is like reading a movie. When I design a book, I'm drawn to the world of the story, to keep the image of the artist, and to remain on the reader's bookshelf. I always want to make things that fit the reader's wishes.

I introduced LETS about three years ago (2014) when I became independent from Kadokawa Shoten's book design department. The book design department also used Fontworks fonts, and I particularly liked "Greco" at the time. At that time, I was also in charge of designing series, so I decided to introduce it immediately because I wanted to continue the font environment of the book design department as much as possible.

When you're independent, it's hard to get new information about your design environment. With LETS, even if I don't know about new fonts, I can always get the latest environment. It's easy to forget, but this is actually a big advantage.


In book design, you have to constantly think of various ideas to create something eye-catching. This means always being aware of and searching for creators who can create visuals, such as illustrators and photographers, but I also think that typefaces are an essential spice in creating something that leaves a lasting impression. That's why I'm so grateful for LETS, which provides so many typefaces.

This time, I looked at the bookbinding I did again, and I noticed that many of them used "TsukuOldMin" (laughs). It seems that I like "A", "B", and "C". When I first bound a book using TsukuOldMin, I looked at the finished book and thought that I had found the typeface that best suited my physiological sensibilities.


Personally, I like typefaces with rounded kana, like "no", "na" and "tsu" in TsukuOldMin. It's not overly rounded, and it gives off a gentle warmth. And what I like most is the treatment of the ends of the strokes of kanji. TsukuOldMin is processed smoothly without any sharp edges, right? It may be a small thing, but in the case of books, characters are often used in large series as titles, so the beauty of the strokes and strokes is very important. If the edges of the elements are jagged when they are made large, it doesn't look right. When it really bothers me, I sometimes adjust the corners of the edges, but if I do it too much, the shape of the characters becomes distorted. It was a very difficult and nerve-wracking job.

TsukuOldMin not only does not require this work, but the curves and the fluctuation of the vertical and horizontal lines have a sense of warmth. The scales are also plump and have no corners. It fits well whether it is set vertically or horizontally, so I think it is easy to handle and read.


Also, the design of the old font is wonderful. Not only the sides and the characters change, but other elements are also designed with differences in parts. The user doesn't feel any stress, so I think the font really supports the characters.


Recently, the use of "TsukuBOldMin-R", which has a classical and interesting nuance, has been increasing. It also leaves a strong impression when used as a title, so I think it can give a sense of narrative to the title.


And the appeal of "TsukuOldGothic" is the vague outline, like the blurred edges of type when printed. It's a Gothic font, but it feels like a Ming font, but it has a modern feel that Ming fonts don't have. The temperature you can feel from the font itself is warm. It's strange to feel the warmth of a font, but there's something about TsukuOldGothic that can only be described in that way.


What I feel in all of the Tsukushi typefaces is the strength of the nuance that increases the "narrative quality." I often use "TsukuAntiqueLMin-L" and "TsukuAntiqueSMin-L" in particular, and I often see them in bookstores. Although they have a unique strength, Weight of the vertical and horizontal strokes is not that different, so they are easy to read. There are actually not many typefaces that are easy to read even when you specify colors or gradations.

As I mentioned at the beginning, choosing the typeface is the very last step in the design process. The final look is decided only after the pictures and photographs are submitted, arranged around the actual size of the cover, and rolled up in a dummy book.


Here we load the book title, author name, etc. and look at it, and if it doesn't quite fit, the visual will say, "No, that's not right" (laughs). On the other hand, if it's a perfect fit, the visual will tell us, "This! This is good."

The cover of this work, "God Spider," was exactly like that. When I tried to typeset the title and author's name in the usual Western font, the picture told me, "This is not it." I had been using "TsukuOldGothic B" for the Japanese part, so I tried to apply this Western part as it is. Then, the picture told me, "This is it!" and I was surprised.

Because, in my mind, it was a theory to use a Latin font for the Latin part. I hesitated because it was a big part of the book title, but the subordinate Latin font of TsukuOldGothic-B was the only one that could support the picture. I think one of the reasons for this is the difference in the X-height (height of the font). That was exactly the typeface that the picture required.


The design of this book prompted me to take another look at the subordinate Roman characters of the Tsukushi typeface, and I found that they were exactly my style. I love the feel of the subordinate Roman characters that Fujita creates - the difference in height and the roundness.

That's right, "TsukuARdGothic" is also good. There were various round gothic fonts before that. They were all cute, but I was thinking that it would be nice if it had more movement, and that's when "TsukuARdGothic" came out. When I saw it, I was surprised that it was possible to create something with so much nuance with a round gothic font. It's a round gothic font that combines the characteristics of both Gothic and Mincho fonts, so it can be used in books for adults. It's a cool and fresh round gothic font that doesn't look childish.


When I finally present the designs with different typefaces, there is a reason why the typeface I choose is one that appeals to the reader. Even though the visuals and size of the letters are the same, the face of the book really changes just by changing the typeface. I had never really thought much about the artistic value of typefaces, but when I think back on what I like about the Tsukushi typeface, the plump scales, the gentle curves without corners, the way the design permeates every corner, and so on, the reasons I like it keep coming to mind.


But we don't usually think about it. It's the artistic quality of Tsukushi typeface that appeals to us unconsciously, to those people who don't usually think about it but who just slip in next to us and still feel comfortable, and I think that's what I like about Tsukushi typeface.
I could go on and on about the Tsukushi font (laughs), but if I could make one request, it would be for weight variations of TsukuOldGothic, and thin weights in particular. Right now, even if I wanted to use TsukuOldGothic for everything, I worry that depending on the size of the characters, it might be too heavy, or it might be crushed and difficult to read. If TsukuOldGothic had a thin weight, it would be unbeatable. I would really be happy if you could make it.