Publisher's Synopsis
THIS manual, intended as a companion to the author's previous work "The Alphabet" which traces more completely the history and development of the Roman character than is contemplated here, has been prepared in response to many requests for some plain letterings that would illustrate a sufficient variety of styles to enable a craftsman to select just the kind of letter he requires for the particular work he may have in hand. It aims only to present clearly [from the view point of an actual worker in the craft] the fundamentals and essentials of letter forms-not how to draw them, but to consider what they are - their aesthetic character rather than the story of their origin or progress. Good lettering must be founded on good models; for the use of beginners, they ought especially to be simple, dignified forms that have been divested of the archaisms and mannerisms of the scribes and exhibit the essentials of legibility, beauty, and character in a high degree. In the examples shown herein, the writer has intended to provide typical letter forms only, showing old style, modern and italic types, blackletter, stone cut inscriptions, etc. He hopes that his selections will be found to answer every requirement. Each alphabet is shown in a size that exhibits clearly any peculiarities or subtleties of form in the individual letters. The beginner is urged not merely to copy them, but to familiarize himself with them also, that he may acquire a proper tradition on which to found new expressions of his own.
