Mastering Layout: On the Art of Eye Appeal Paperback – January 1, 1986

Back in the day to be a sign-painter and do it well meant many hours of practice, and a lot of it flying blind. The simple act of how to hold a brush discovered in this book would have propelled my work to the level it is now many years ago and made me a finer craftsman.Mike's understanding of all things sign related made him a legend back in the late 1970's and early 1980's before the craft did a nose dive when the guy selling pizzas bought a vinyl cutter and a computer and called himself a sign man. But that is a diatribe I won't burden you with here. However in this book he just pummels the misguided soul that believes sign painting and design are like apples and oranges. They are so intertwined! His examples are graphic mastery, so tightly done.To get an idea of how good Mike Stevens was, one need only look at the a page of his lettering and observe the size at which it was created, many of the plates are very smallThe graphic designer working today with only a mouse and keyboard can benefit greatly by Mike's discussion of color and the understanding of placing copy in hierarchical groups and limiting a given work to three fonts for instance.A final word to the savvy sign-painter who purchased the "Mike Stevens Journal" back in the early 1980's:This book is basically that; bound. There are few more fonts, and the organization of a book over a monthly circular, but this is the journal. If you already have a copy of it, know this. "Mastering Layout" is a more in-depth exploration than the journal which because of its condensed size, was incapable of doing. Mike is a very articulate speaker and even the philosophical when dealing with principles of layout.I now have both. Yes, it is that good.

Best layout book I own! A lot of things I learned in school, but Mike Stevens spells it out in straightforward, digestible terms that will help any graphic designer tighten up their layouts. Although it's geared toward sign and show card writing, I found myself applying it to book, ad, and web layouts all the same. Stevens presents multiple layouts geared toward a similar project and cross-examines them, pointing out their strengths and their flaws. Extremely helpful for both a novice just starting out, or a professional looking to pin-point some areas of weakness in their own work.

I own a custom sign shop, you can never not learn enough.

On time delivery, no damage, just about done reading it through for the first time. I'm a sign graphic student and I think there is a lot of helpful tools in this book, but its definitely not for the beginning sign painter it is more for a sign painter who already has basic alphabets and layout skills down, just looking to improve and grow. I give it 4 stars

This book is amazing. Fairly easy read but with great detail and technical help. Mastering the Art of Layout can help you critique your own work. A must for any one wanting to learn layout or how and why sign can look like terrible. Great great book.

One of the very first books I purchased upon pursuing a career in the design field. Mike Stevens' principles on layout process are timeless and you will see this once you read through this book. I frequently find myself revisiting sections of this book time and time again and I have owned it for about 10 years. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get into doing graphic design / layouts / signs etc.

This book you have to read it slowly. It has lots of theory and the principles of designing signs. Lots of information in its paragraphs. There are no color pictures. Just some basic sketches showing you signs with design errors, but it is very good. I strongly recommend it if you are starting a sign business or if you want to increase your knowledge.

The reviews on this book cover it well. Layout is the hardest part to learn as a novice signwriter. This covers valuable information clearly and orderly without being simplistic. I felt the price was high, (it's only B&W) but the information was invaluable, for me worth it.