Good “style” on the first type of letter that pleases, we
Lettering— shall found our work on a good model, full of
Some possibilities of development.

Methods of The Roman Captai (Chap. XV.).—The ancestor
Construction of all our letters is in undisputed possession of the
& Arrange- first place: but it is open to comparatively few to
ment make a practical study of its monumental forms by
means of cutting inscriptions in stone with a chisel.

The Pen-formed letters are more easily practised,
and the mastery of the pen acquired in the practice
of a root form—such as the half-uncial—is the key
to the majority of alphabets (which are pen de¬
veloped) and to those principles underlying the right
construction and arrangement of lettering, which it
is our business to discover.

Doubtless a “school” of lettering might be
founded on any fine type, and a beautiful alphabet
or fine hand might be founded on any fine inscrip¬
tion: but the practical student of penmanship may
be sure of acquiring a knowledge of lettering which
would be useful to any craftsman concerned with
letters, be he printer, book-illustrator, engraver, or
even inscription carver.

THE QUALITIES OF GOOD LETTERING

The first general virtue of lettering is readableness,
the second, fitness for a given Use. And the rational
basis of the following summary is the assumption
that such fitness is comprised in beauty and character,
and that a given piece of lettering having readable¬
ness., beauty, and character has the essential virtues
of good lettering.

The qualities on which these virtues seem chiefly
to depend, and their special significations in the case
of plain writing, may be set forth as follows:—

202

THE QUALITIES OF GOOD WRITING

'i. Simplicity:

2. Distinctiveness:

3. Proportion:

4. Beauty of Form:

5. Beauty of Uni¬
formity:

6. Beauty of

A rrangement:

READABLENESS

As having no unnecessary parts
(and as being simply arranged:
see 6).

As having the distinguishing char¬
acteristics of each letter strongly
marked (and the words distinctly
arranged : see 6).

As having no part of a letter
wrongly exaggerated or dwarfed
(and as the lettering being pro¬
portionally arranged : see 6).

BEAUTY

As having beautiful shapes and con¬
structions, so that each letter is
an individual and living whole
(not a mere collection of parts)
fitted for the position, office, and
material of the object bearing the
inscription.

As the assimilation of the cor¬
responding parts — "bodies,”
“limbs,” "heads”—and as the
“family likeness” of the different
letters, so that they go well to¬
gether.

As haying a general fitness in the
placing, connecting, and spacing
of letters, words, and lines, in the
disposal of the lettering in the
given space, and in the propor¬
tioning of every part of the
lettering and its margins.

CHARACTER

'7. Essential qualities As being genuine calligraphy, the
of (Hand and direct outcome of a rightly made

Pen) work: and rightly handled pen. (See

p. 242.)

8. Freedom: As having skilled and unaffected

boldness. (See pp. 88, 29Г, 287,

r, . 333-l

9. Personality: As haying the characteristics which

distinguish one person’s hand
from another’s. (See also pp. 242,
287.)

Good
Lettering—
Some
Methods of
Construction
& Arrange¬
ment