Everything's done by computers now. But on occasion, we old-timers get a call for something that can only be done the old-fashioned way.
Such as, just this morning, I got a call from the lady who does in-house graphic design for city-produced publications, and she said she had been looking for some examples of architectural lettering. She told me that my boss had given her a book, but it didn't have what she needed, and asked if would I mind doing a sample of my lettering.
Well, I'm a sucker for her because she's nice, so I did a strip with upper case, lower case (which I don't actually use--I use all caps, and just use a larger capital letters for the start of the sentence or proper nouns), numerals, and various #$%& and @ symbols.
All of which I know she will scan in and use for stuff so that she doesn't have to get one of use to use our cool--but slow--architectural lettering skills whenever she needs such things.
She was surprised when she got it because it looked so different from the sample she'd gotten from a co-worker of mine. "It's just like handwriting," I noted. And it's true. Although the intent is to produce consistent, readable lettering, with enough practice (and desire) you tend to develop your own style that's recognizable but still clear and orderly. Some people get carried away and get all jaggedy and scrawly, which is certainly unique to that person, but it gets in the way of being able to read notes.
Anyway, why she didn't just buy an architectural font package for her computer, I don't know. It would certainly be a lot easier to use than something scanned in.
Oh well.
Should you want to practice your own architectural lettering, I did have a link here to a website with an animated deal you could look at, but since I don't have the latest version of Flash, I didn't realize how crappy it looked until Steevil sent me a copy of it in a Word document. Yikes--forget doing that, it was horrible! But I haven't found anything else yet, so forget I even mentioned it.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at January 26, 2007 10:16 AMummm...me no like. Especially comparing G and 6.
(not that my engineering drafting course made my printing any more legible)
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at January 26, 2007 10:45 AMOddly, I spent some time during and immediately after college doing drafting--specifically relating to surveying and then to tax mapping. But I have not heard of "architectural lettering" before--perhaps because I learned on-the-job. Is there an official difference between lettering for architectural purposes and any other type of drafting?
Probably if I'd ever TAKEN drafting courses I'd know the answer to that.
Posted by: Stan at January 26, 2007 10:47 AMSteevil, I'll take your word for it that it's stinky looking. My stupid work computer has an older version of Flash that doesn't play the animation.
Stan, I don't suppose there's any difference, although an old-old-timer told me engineers slant their letters, while architectural drafting is straight up and down. Engineers also roll drawings up the wrong way, too. Found that one out on my own.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 26, 2007 10:59 AMLettering for engineering drawings is typically much more upright and stuffy than the architectural stuff. All right angles and circles. No art deco fancy schmancy stuff.
Posted by: skillzy at January 26, 2007 11:01 AMSkillzy's right, at least how I learned it in Engineering drafting class, many, many moons ago. I actually took up trying to use my drafting lettering as my normal writing style and typically, using all CAPS but elevating the capitalized bits that needed singled out. I still basically do the same thing though my writing has deteriorated badly over the past 5 years or so. Blame that on keyboards I suppose.
I also bought my own computer font, using my handwriting, through fontifier.com. Its kind of neat for personal, non-business emails and easy to accomplish. The hard part was begging the computer geek to install it on my work pc.
Posted by: Nate at January 26, 2007 12:06 PMI wish I could convince the computer guys to install stuff on my computer.
::sigh::
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 26, 2007 01:24 PMMaybe if you gave them a foot massage and $100 pair of shoes, they'd install stuff on your computer.
Posted by: Marc V at January 26, 2007 01:32 PMIf I'm gonna lay out that kind of time and expense, I think I'd be wanting just a bit more out of the bargain than some computer doodads.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 26, 2007 01:39 PM