Hand lettered type is found in a large variety of mediums and styles, from a writer's scrawl, to comic books, to graffiti. It's hard to pinpoint a definition for hand lettered type, as almost all type originated from hand drawn sketches. Conventional type, the typefaces we are used to seeing every day (on the computer, in the newspaper, and on road signs) are mass-produced and have been meticulously crafted into smooth lines, often to be as legible as possible. But hand lettered type is created primarily with pen and pencil, generally without the use of computers, and it is usually not made to look flawless.
With this blog, I hope to both narrow and expand my very vague and messy definition of hand lettered type. I plan to explore examples of hand lettered type that blur the lines between "conventional" and "handwritten." Stay tuned for entries about hand lettered type as downloadable fonts, in marketing campaigns, and as fine art! Are you as excited as I am? Eep!
Great sketches by Tuva Moen Holm
Posts
Would you consider quickly made hand drawn signs i.e. Garage/Yard Sale signs 'Type?' Also, why do you think people seem not to care what their handmade signs look like? (I mean so many look shabby!)
ReplyDeleteI had thought of possibly doing a post on yard sale signs! Thanks for the reminder, I'll most definitely have to look into it further.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that most people lack the artistic skill to create signs like these (yard sale, lost cat, etc.) and/or they don't understand that their audience is far more likely to pay attention with a well-designed sign.