—The lettering of a plan, map, or drawing of any kind, occupies a prominent and conspicuous position, and may be considered as forming an essential part of the drawing. It is, therefore, obvious that the character of the lettering, and the degree of finish introduced into its execution, will have an important influence on the general appearance of the drawing. Nothing detracts more from the value of a map, considered as a work of art, than a bad style of lettering, while, on the other hand, a well-chosen and well-executed style is both pleasing to the eye, and produces on the mind an impression of accuracy in the more important features of the work. Hence it is not merely desirable, but necessary, that the draughtsman should acquire the ability to form letters correctly and neatly, especially if he be engaged on topographical drawings, into which lettering enters very largely.
The formation of letters requires great attention and long practice. It is not a matter in which much assistance is to be derived from descriptions or written instructions of any kind; practice alone from good models will give the requisite skill. The difficulty of forming the letters correctly and of uniform dimensions may, however, be considerably lessened by using guide lines drawn in pencil, to be afterwards erased. Such lines are called construction lines, and the mode of employing them is shown in [Plate 4]. A careful study of this Plate will give the student a clear understanding of the use of these lines, which could not be imparted by pages of description. A reference to the letters B, E, and T, in connection with the construction lines will show most readily the nature and the degree of assistance afforded by the latter.
In making capitals, each letter must be sketched in pencil; the outline must then be drawn in ink with a firm and steady line, and afterwards filled up with the pen. In forming the small roman and italic letters, three construction lines are drawn, the lower two to limit the height of the ordinary letters, and the upper one to limit the height of such letters as d and l, and the capitals. The heavy parts of these letters are made at once by a bold pressure of the pen. The curved portions should be carefully distinguished from the straight. The letters a, c, g, o, s, &c., for example, are composed wholly of curved lines. They should be drawn symmetrically, and their width should be only a little less than their height. The round portion of the g should not quite reach to the lower line. A perfect regularity should be maintained throughout the letters, as the beauty of their appearance depends greatly on this. Care must also be taken, in italic writing, to keep the inclination the same everywhere. Manuscript lettering should be more extended than the clear roman or italic type, for crowding greatly mars its appearance.
The character of the letters employed should be in accordance with that of the drawing upon which they are to appear. Thus for engineering and mechanical drawings, there is nothing more suitable generally than the plain block letter. But on drawings of a more artistic and ornamental character, a more elaborate form of letter may and should be used. And of these elaborate forms, there will always be one more suitable than the rest to the particular character of the drawing. The choice of this form is a matter to be left entirely to the judgment and the taste of the draughtsman.
Another matter on which the draughtsman will have to exercise his judgment is the size of the letters employed. This must manifestly be in accordance, first, with the character of the object denoted, and, second, with the scale of the drawing. With regard to the former of these conditions, it is obvious that propriety will demand a larger letter for the city than the town, for the town than the village, for the village than the farm, and for the mansion than the gate-lodge. This propriety of relative importance must be everywhere observed. The different types of lettering are arranged in the order of importance as follows:—1, The upright capital; 2, the inclined capital; 3, the upright roman, or ordinary small type; and 4, the small italic. The draughtsman will have to exercise his judgment in suiting the size to the scale of the map, but the following Table may be taken as a general guide:—
| Scale. | Height of Upright Capitals. | Height of Small Roman. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1⁄600, | or one inch to fifty feet. | Six-tenths of an inch. | Twelve-hundredths of an inch. | ||
| 1⁄2640, | or two feet to a mile. | Four | „„ | Eight | „„ |
| 1⁄5280, | or one foot to a mile. | Three | „„ | Six | „„ |
| 1⁄10560, | or four inches to a mile. | Two | „„ | Four | „„ |
The thickness of the capital should be one-seventh of the height.
As far as practicable, the lines of lettering should be parallel to the base of the drawing. Frequently, however, cases will occur in which it will be desirable to letter in other directions and in curved lines. In writing along a curved or very irregular outline, the course of a river or the boundary of an estate, for example, an agreeable effect is produced by making the lines of lettering conform in some degree with the outlines against which they are written.
The arrangement of the letters in titles and the effective disposition of the words are also matters requiring great care and some taste. The design and the execution of the title afford another opportunity of enhancing the beauty of a drawing by a display of striking arrangement and appropriate ornamentation. [Plates 7] and [8] show some useful models for plans, and [Plate 25] contains some specimens of flourishes which may frequently be introduced with pleasing effect. The form which the title shall assume and the space which it shall occupy must be determined before beginning to put it upon the drawing. To avoid erasures, it is well to sketch roughly upon a piece of paper, a trial title, emendations in which can be easily made. When found satisfactory, draw a vertical centre line, which should pass through the middle letter of each line. Apply this centre line to the centre line of the title on the drawing, and lightly mark in with the pencil the position of each letter. When this method is not adopted, the middle letters should be put in first upon the centre line, and the others afterwards inserted from left to right, and from right to left.
In maps, the title may be placed outside the border if it consist of one line only, but if it occupy more than one line, it should be placed within the border. Generally, it should be placed in one of the corners of the map, and its size should bear some proportion to that of the map. The letters composing the name of the locality, which is usually the most important word, should not exceed in height three-hundredths of the length of the short side of the border. The letters of the other words will vary in size according to their relative importance.