Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part One: Groundwork
1 Background
A brief history of lettering
What is ‘good’ lettering?
Light and shadow
Incised vs. raised lettering
The naming of parts
The modern roman letter style
2 Setting Up
Carving tools
Other tools
Suitable woods
The worksurface and holding work
Lighting
Safety
3 The Process of Lettercarving
Rough sketches to working drawings
Transferring the drawings
Carving
Finishing
Costing
Common mistakes
Part Two: Incised Lettering
4 About Incised Lettering
‘Stab’ and ‘stop’ cuts
Depth and angle of cuts
Internal symmetry
Stabbing the root line
Alternatives to the V section
.Alternatives to incising
Working with large lettering
5 Incised Lettering Exercises
Introduction
Exercise plan
Drawing out the letterforms
Exercises
Straight letters
1 Vertical stabbing with mallet and chisel
2 Vertical stabbing with mallet and chisel, reversed hands
3 Vertical stabbing with mallet, to a line
4 Angled cutting with mailer
5 Angled cutting with mallet, reversed hands
6 Vertical trench with mallet
7 Vertical trench, tidying by hand
8 Serifs (I)
9 Horizontal trenches
10 Serifs (II)
11 Letters H, T, F, L & E
12 Oblique trenches
13 Joining obliques - letters A, M, N, V, W, K, Z, X & Y
Curved letters
14 Vertical stabbing with mallet and gouge
15 Vertical stabbing with mallet and gouge
16 Vertical stabbing with mallet and gouge
17 Crescents (1)
18 Crescents (II)
19 Circles
20 Letter O
21 Letters C & S Straight/curved combinations
22 Letters J, Q, D, U, G, P, R & B
23 Using the V tool
6 Characteristics of Individual Letters in Modern Roman
Letters A-Z
Family resemblances
Summary of widths
Modifications to modern roman
Working with Roman and Arabic numerals
Part Three: Raised Lettering
7 About Raised Lettering
Introduction
Guidelines
Carving
Letter shaping
Backgrounds
Routers
Common mistakes
Finishing
8 Raised Lettering Exercises
Introduction
Exercise plan
Exercises
Basic techniques
1 Grounding using the deep gouge
2 Lowering the ground
3 Levelling the ground
4 Using the V tool
5 Grounding to an edge
6 Sctting-in
7 Grounding within a counter Sample letters
8 I
9 H
10 A
11 D
12 B
13S
14 Texturing ground
Summary
Part Four: Letterform
9 Layout
introduction
Making a start
Family resemblances
Colour
Optical adjustment
Working parameters
10 Letter Styles
Trajan roman
Lower case roman
Versal
Uncial and half uncial
Gothic
Part Five: Projects
11 Incised Lettering Projects
Introduction
In scrip ted post
House sign
Bowl
Small table
Dry transfer lettering
12 Raised Lettering Projects
Introduction
Large, simple sign
Breadboard
Name stamp
Carved and lettered sign
Part Six: Resources
The Sheffield list
Glossary
List of suppliers
Further reading
About die author
Index
