Don't do it! I thought I'd try typography for the first time almost twenty years ago, and the first time was fun, but its a gateway drug and you end up addicted to some really nasty stuff like hinting and quadratic splines.

I'm with John. A few years back all I wanted to do was make a logo, I just needed eleven letters for the name... 3,400 custom-drawn glyphs later I found I was hooked.

As for software, I've only used After Effects and a little Flash for KT style work, neither is low in cost — unless you're a student, in which case you can get really good discounts (80% savings in some cases).

First of all, congratulations! A new typophile is always cause for celebration.

There's a big difference between "typography" (i.e., the design and composition of texts) and "kinetic typography," though I suppose you could argue kinetic typography is a subset of typography. The standard tool for kinetic typography is Adobe After Effects, which, as Stickly mentioned, isn't cheap. However, if you have access to a video camera, you could do it stop-motion style, which doesn't need to involve software at all. This, for instance, was created by traditional stop-motion, entirely without assistance from software.

If you are interested in typography in the traditional sense, you might want to read "Thinking With Type" by Ellen Lupton, which is a fun introduction to typography, or "The Elements of Typographic Style" by Robert Bringhurst, which is a more in-depth foray.

Welcome to Typophile!

It is already too late.
Welcome to the dark side.

hhp

This website is not really for me- I am a painter wanting to gain a bit of understanding about fonts. I did the "Font 101" already, which was interesting, but it is not immediately apparent what information is applicable to using fonts responsibly.

Specifically, I have had to make several paper products (programs and postcards) for an event I am planning. I am a painter, but I want to take baby steps to understanding how to use multiple fonts in one item. I have a fine arts degree, but I am no designer. I will pick up recommended books, but does anyone else have advice for amateurs (who probably will not read a whole book). Basic rules for responsible font usage?

Thank you for your time and brain.

Basic Rule #1:
It's very rare for "multiple fonts in one item" to result in anything respectable. :-)

BTW, to me it sounds like you belong here just fine.

hhp

Basic rules for responsible font usage?

If you’re going to mix ten fonts onto one page design, at least ONE of them ought to be a paid one ;-)

good luck