ARCHITECTURAL LETTERING

Explanation of Architectural Lettering:

1. It is expected as a designer or architect that all blueprints, drawings and designs have
architectural lettering.
2. This lettering was established ages ago by architects so that all writing on blueprints were legible
therefore costly mistakes would not be made.
3. Practicing this lettering is still a necessary part of the curriculum in most architecture and design
education, because it is still a necessary part of the job.
4. Bad handwriting tends to make any design look amateur. All handwriting should match the
quality of the design.
5. Practice is necessary to develop the skills needed to letter legibly. Just as each individual has a
unique handwriting, they will also have a unique lettering style.
6. Architectural lettering has an animated quality while appearing very uniform and neat.
7. Guidelines are very light and almost invisible. They should be drawn with a 4H pencil while the
lettering should be darker, drawn with a 2H pencil. (The higher the number, the lighter the lead.)

PARTS OF LETTERING GUIDELINES

Summary of important points to remember are:
 4H lead for guidelines
 2H lead for lettering
 Use light guidelines
 3/16” to ¼” guide lines for room labels, key or schedule titles, drawing title and client name
in the title block.
 1/8” guidelines for minor titles
 Always use a straight edge to draw the vertical lines for your letters first; all other parts of
the letters drawn freehand.
 Letters are to be dark, dark, dark.
 Letters should all be the same width.
Freehand Lettering
As you work with experienced draftsmen, you will notice their freehand lettering adds style
and individuality to their work. They take great pride in their freehand lettering ability. By
learning basic letter forms and practicing constantly, you will soon be able to do a creditable
job of lettering and acquire your own style and individuality. Anyone who can write can
learn to letter. As you practice, you will steadily improve both your style and the speed with
which you can letter neatly. Don’t give up if your first attempts do not produce neat
lettering. Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor for a few pointers. You will gain an
understanding of the letter shapes and the ability to visualize them by drawing them until the
muscles of your hand are accustomed to the pattern of the strokes that make up the letters.
You should be able to draw good letters without consciously thinking of this pattern.
Your position and how you hold your pencil will greatly affect your lettering. You should
sit up straight and rest your forearm on the drawing board or table. Hold the pencil between
the thumb, forefinger, and second finger; the third and fourth fingers and the ball of the
palm rest on the drawing sheet. Do not grip the pencil tightly. A tight grip will cramp the
muscles in your fingers, causing you to lose control. If you get “writer’s cramp” easily, you
are probably holding your pencil too tightly. The pencil should be kept sharpened to
produce uniform line weights. A conical-shaped pencil point works best for most lettering.
Usually, an F or H pencil is used for lettering. A pencil that is too hard may cut into the
paper, or it may produce lettering that will not reproduce easily. A pencil that is too soft
will require frequent sharpening, and it will produce lettering that may smear easily on a
drawing.
 Freehand Lettering

Vertical capital letters are preferred for most technical work. They are formed within a 6 by 6 grid.
Straight-Line Capitals

Z, X, Y, K. Stroke 2 of the Z is longer than stroke 1. The inclined strokes of the X are closer

together at their starting than at their finishing points. The three strokes of the Y intersect slightly

below the center of the square. Stroke 2 of the K intersects stroke 1 at a point one third of the

distance up from the base line. Stroke 3, if extended, would intersect stroke 1 at the top