Lettering

Created by Melvin Del Rosario

Definition1. a written or printed communication

addressed to a person or organization and usually transmitted by mail.

2. a symbol or character that is conventionally used in writing and printing to represent a speech sound and that is part of an alphabet.

3. a piece of printing type bearing such a symbol or character.

4. a particular style of type. 5. such types collectively.

Definition6. Often, letters. a formal document granting a right or

privilege. 7. actual terms or wording; literal meaning, as distinct

from implied meaning or intent (opposed to spirit): the letter of the law.

8. letters, (used with a singular or plural verb) literature in general.

9. the profession of literature. 10. learning; knowledge, especially of literature. 11. an emblem consisting of the initial or monogram of a

school, awarded to a student for extracurricular activity, especially in athletics.

12. to mark or write with letters; inscribe. 13. to earn a letter in an interscholastic or intercollegiate

activity, especially a sport: He lettered in track at Harvard.

Different Types of Lettering

Different Types of Lettering

• Serif• Sans Serif• Gothic Styles• Calligraphy Styles• Block Lettering• Graffiti• Sub-Styles

Serif• Serif lettering styles are letters that have

tails on them. Tails are decorative, often curved flourishes found at the end of a letter's descending stroke, which may rest on or below your baseline. The diagonal stroke on a Q or R would be likely spots for tails. If you examine a font on the computer or text in a book, you will notice that some letters have tails and some consist of straight lines. Popular serif fonts or letter styles include Times New Roman, Bodini and Baskerville. Serif fonts are usually easy on the eyes when reading and work well for body text

Sans Serif• Sans Serif lettering is a style that

has no tails on the letters. These letters are made of straight lines. Popular lettering styles or fonts that fall into this category include Courier, Gill Sans and Ariel. These fonts are used for their consistency in spacing, particularly in computer applications.

Gothic Styles• Gothic style lettering typically features

very sharp edges, based on the styles of Gothic architecture. Gothic lettering is often used for headlines and titles, but it doesn't work well for body text. The sharp lines make it difficult to read when used as body text, primarily because the letters often run too close together. Gothic is a decorative lettering style and, as such, used less frequently for functionality.

Calligraphy Styles

• Calligraphy style lettering is characterized by lines that alternately thin and thicken. The style is similar to Gothic, but with smoother edges and fewer points. Calligraphic lettering often takes on a ribbon-like effect and is used primarily for headlines.

Block Lettering• Block lettering is a plain,

straightforward lettering style that is characterized by letters that are typically very large and written in all capitals. This is a headline style lettering that features straight lines and a blocky appearance.

Graffiti• Graffiti style lettering is

characterized by fat, rounded characters or by sharp-edged characters. Graffiti lettering is often done with three-dimensional shading as well. Graffiti lettering can take on elements of Gothic or calligraphic lettering.

Sub-Styles• Within each of the lettering styles are sub-

styles that can be applied to the main lettering types. Roundhand and cursive, for example, mimic classical penmanship where letters flow from one into the next. Italic puts a right-leaning slant on letters, while bold makes the strokes thicker. Old English is more decadent in its flourishes and design, while contemporary takes a simple, minimalist approach.

Guidelines for

Lettering

• Your lettering must have the same height,• style, and size.  Lettering is an art that you must practice to

obtain• proficiency and continue practicing to maintain proficiency.• Guidelines serve as an aid to creating uniform lettering.

 Guidelines are• light pencil lines that provide the means to achieve the

consistency• needed for uniformity.  When you apply only upper-

case lettering, you use• only the base and cap guidelines.  When lettering consists of

upper- and• lower-case  letters,  you  must  use  the  cap,  waist,  base,  and

 drop• guidelines

• When laying out guidelines for upper- and lower-case letters, the height

• of upper-case lettering is 1 1/2 times the distance "A" (figure 1-57).

• When establishing the guideline for lettering, set a compass or divider

• to distance "A" and mark the distance you have selected above and below

• the midline.  These two marks establish the cap line and the drop line

• Next you must locate the base and waist lines.  To locate these lines,

• set the compass or divider to 1/2 of "A."  Then using the same midline,

• mark the distance 1/2 of "A" above

Thank You and

Mabuhay!