LETTERING; Drawing or inscribing copy by hand, as compared to the mechanical setting of metal type. Sometimes called hand lettering, lettering is done by an artist when the desired effect requires a quality that is not obtainable with type.
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Lettering has been around since ancient societies. It was a way of changing sound into visual speech. That sounds magical, doesn't it. That is why the ancient peoples thought that "Lettering" must have been invented by the gods. During that time, the local priest were the ones who usually did most of the writing and got a big reputation for doing it. Even today, lettering plays an important role in all visual communication.

Speeball Guide to Lettering and Calligraphy

Mastery of hand lettering can easily be applied to "TATTOOING and CALIGRAPHY". Add special effects with little effort to produce one of a kind works of art. NOTE: Every letter style has it's own personality. Try to choose a style that best fits the customer for whom you are doing the job.

Here's an interesting article on "The Golden Age of Lettering".
HAND-LETTERING IN AMERICAN ADVERTISING DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
By Nick Shinn

Here are some valuable tips to improve your lettering and layout designs.
Choosing the correct lettering style is the most important decision you must make when designing a logo or sign layout. You should keep these factors in mind;
(1.) What is the customer's or clients personality?
(2.) What is the nature of their business?
(3.) Is their business corporate, commercial or industrial.
(4.) What is their theme? Is it modern or historical?
(5.) Most important, what distance will the advertisement be viewed from?

Showcard Alphabets - 100 Complete Fonts

Answers to these questions will guide you to creating the most effective advertisement for your customer.

Please note: What looks good on a computer screen, doesn't necessarily work on advertisements.
Try not to get too carried away, when using various embellishments, such as outlines, blends, shadows and hard to read styles of lettering.
Remember; the purpose of lettering is to be read, and understood by the viewer.

Brush Lettering Old English Style

Gothic and Old English Alphabets: 100 Complete Fonts

Roman Capitals Stroke by Stroke

In the early days of modern society all lettering was done by hand. This includes newspaper advertisements, signs, billboards, and vehicles. Hey-remember the old milk delivery trucks. How about soda and beer trucks.

Hand painted lettering has a certain finesse that is difficult to duplicate with computer generated vinyl lettering. Computer lettering has a mechanical look and feel. The thin strokes on a Roman and Script type seems to lose it's effectiveness at a distance. With hand lettering it's very easy to thicken a brush stroke to maximize the overall effect of the message.

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