I.

Title: Graphics 1 (UNIT 4)

Lettering
II. Introduction/Rationale:
This unit deals with the origin, development, styles and order of strokes of lettering
which are fundamental in making specifications, titles and notes on a working drawing. It also
includes the techniques in lettering.
III. Module Outcomes:
The students know the origin, development, styles and order of strokes of lettering.
Apply appropriate techniques in lettering..
IV. Lesson Title: Lettering
V. Lesson Outcomes: The students must aware of the origin, development, styles and order of
strokes of lettering which are fundamental in making specifications, titles and notes on a
working drawing. It also includes the techniques in lettering and apply it in their work.

VI. Lesson Contents:

Term used:
Term used:
1. Lettering -an act of making letters by hand and other parts of
the body.
2. Printing -an act of making letters by the used of machines.
3. Alphabet -a system of characters or letters used in writing a
language. It was derived from two Greek words
“alpha” means “beginning “and “beta” means
“second letter.”
4. Letter -any character in the alphabet.
5. Hieroglyphics -picture writing or sacred writing. It was derived
from two Greek words “hieros”meaning sacred
“glyphein”meaning to carve.
6. Cuneiform writing -a form of writing whose letters have wedge-shape.
It was taken from a Latin word “cuneus”which
means wedge.
Importance of Lettering
Good lettering enhances the appearance of a drawing, while imperfect lettering will
make a good drawing look sloppy and [Link] gives other pertinent information
necessary for the construction of a machine or structure, the graphical representation of which
failed to show purpose. It must be easily read and drawn freehand. Figures are similar
importance as of lettering. Poor figuring can cause grave errors in the manufacture of an article
and combining legibility and rapidity in the working drawing requirements will develop
excellent outputs.

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 Lettering is not only useful in working but also in personal correspondence, making
place cards,signs,posters,labelling books and occasion cards. A keen student in the drawing will
acquire great satisfaction on its many uses. Constant correct practice makes perfect.
Lettering
Learning to letters requires:
a. Knowledge of the shapes and proportions of the individual characters.
b. Knowledge of the order of strokes and direction of strokes used in making them.
c. Knowledge of the rules for combining letters into sentences; and
d. Constant correct practice.
History of the Alphabet and Lettering
Before man knew how to write, he provided himself with a means by which he could
leave behind permanent records vital to him. He had no alphabet to use then, so he made
crude pictures on the walls of the cave.
1. Egyptians
They developed the form of the hieroglyphics of writing. Modification in ways
resulted in cursive hieroglyphics known as a hieratic and demotic [Link]
this, the alphabet, which eventually supplemented picture-writing, was born.
The Egyptians used three forms of writing:
a. hieroglyphics which was used on public and official monuments;
b. hieratic-a cursive handwriting; and
c. demotic script which was the flowing popular style.
Both the hieratic and the demotic script were used for private and
business correspondence.
2. Semites
They were the real inventors of the alphabet and had no symbols for vowels.
3. Phoenicians
The Phoenicians made the next steps in the development of the alphabet. They
gave each sounds a fixed symbols. There were only twenty-two (22) consonant
letters, though were consonant-vowel combinations.
4. Greeks
They developed the first true alphabet of twenty-four (24) [Link] most
enormous contribution was the addition of the vowels. He they pronounced
names, the Greeks dropped the consonants sounds, thereby exposing the vowel
sound. The letter aleph was a consonant (Hebrew) unknown to the Greeks. From
the word aleph, the letter was taken. The Semitic he became [Link] direction of
the signs and lines in the Phoenicians were from left to right while in the Greeks
writing direction, it was either left to right or right to left.

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 A was originally a rough picture of a bull’s head. This letter became a sign. Its
original meaning became lost, but the sign was still in use and written. It later
Became the letter A of the present alphabet.
5. Romans
During the first century of the Christian era, the Romans developed an alphabet
of capital letters called “Majuscules “that we still use at present. A few of the
letters today like U, V, Y and W developed as late as 17th century.
The old Roman did not contain the lowercase letters. In the time of Charlemagne
in the 14th century A.D.,the Carolinian “minuscule “or a lowercase alphabet was
invented. The Roman letters used extensively until the Gothic alphabet was
introduced,
Style of Letters
Gothic
Roman
Text
Script
General Division of Letters
Drawn
Single Stroke
Proportion of Letters
1. Normal
2. Compressed
3. Extended
Classification of Letters
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Vertical
Inclined
Lowercase letters are group into four.
Straight line letters
Loop letters
Hook letters
Ellipse letters
[Link] of Stems
1. Boldface letters
2. Lightface letters

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 [Link]
1. Mechanical Spacing
2. Optical Spacing
Guidelines
Uniformity in height, inclination spacing and strength of the line is essential for good
lettering. Uniformity in height and tilt controlled by the use of guidelines and the slope lines,
consistency in width by the skill full used of pencil and proper control of the pressure of its
point on the paper.
Guidelines are fine. Light, and curve lines to halp make the lettering straight and
uniform. Guideline are essential lines for good lettering and must make light that they need not
to erase. Very light horizontal lines are necessary to regulate the height of the letters. Light
vertical or inclined lines are required to keep the letter uniformly vertical or inclined.

Guideline for Capital Letters

GUIDELINES
Guidelines for Small Letters

guidelines
Techniques in Lettering.
1. Know the proportion and shape of the letter. Have a clear space image of the letter
starting to the letter.
2. Learn the order of strokes properly.
3. Know the composition of the letter, spacing of letters, words, and sentences.
Legibility is a key to good lettering.
4. Select lettering pencil carefully. Have a reasonably soft pencil such as H.B.,F, or H.
5. Sharpen Pencil to a long conical point.
6. Acquire “snap” or “bearing” down at the beginning and at the end of each strokes to
make them definite.

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 7. Rotate the pencil for every few strokes to keep the wear of the pencil leads
symmetrical.
8. Hold the pencil properly with the forearm on the drawing board, never with the
forearm off the drawing board.
9. Always letter with guidelines to make the letters straight and [Link] excellent
draftsmen never letters without guidelines.
10. Have real determination to improve. Constant correct practice makes perfect.
Lettering is freehand drawing, not writing. Do not use a straight edge in lettering.

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Remember this Letter.

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TOM O VAXY – 6 units wide

W -more than 6 units wide the widest letter in the Alphabet

I -1 unit, the narrowest letter in the Alphabet

Letters O,Q,G,C, and D,based on the actual [Link] the lower portion of J and U are [Link]
number 8 is composed of two ellipses,and the 3,5 and 2 based on the [Link] 0,6 and 9 are also elliptical.

All other are 5 units

1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5

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 Gothic Letters

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST
UVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx
yz
Roman Letters

ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrst
uvwxyz

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 Script Letters

ABCDEFGHIJKL
MNOPQRSTUVW
XYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Text Letters

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
OPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

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 Activities
Tools and Materials
1. Pencil
2. Drawing Paper
Proposed Criteria for grading Drawing
3. Foot Rule/Ruler
Plates
4. Masking Tape
5. T-Square Accuracy--------------------------30 %
6. Triangles 30x60x90 and 45x45x90 Dimensioning--------------------20%
7. Eraser
8. Dividers Line Uniformity------------------20%

Lettering--------------------------15%

Neatness------------------------- 15%

TOTAL--------100%

Plate 5
Title: Gothic Letters Vertical Letters (Single Stroke)

Plate 6
Title: Composition (Gothic Vertical Letters
Plate # 7
Title: Gothic Inclines Letters (Single Stroke)
Plate # 8
Title: Composition (Gothic Inclined Letters)
Plate # 9
Title: (Roman Letters)

Plate # 10
Title: (Roman Letters)

Plate # 11
Title: (Script Letters)

Plate # 11
Title: (Text Letters)

Refer to Workbook in Technical Drawing 1

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By [Link] S. SIRA

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