How to use the Ames Lettering Guide
Hand lettering adds a charming touch to comics and cards, but it's difficult to form consistent letters when you work freehand.
We'll show you how to use the Ames Lettering Guide to keep your lettering perfectly straight.
You can even use it to make your own calligraphy practice sheets.
Here's what you need: the Ames Lettering Guide, a T-Square, a pencil or non-photo blue pencil, and paper.
You can also use a thick writing board to stabilize the T-Square.
We'll demonstrate the most common way to use the Ames Lettering Guide first, and then touch on some extra features at the end.
The Lettering Guide has two parts: a stationary frame and a rotating disc.
There is a set of numbers from 10 to 2 at the bottom of the disc with an index mark below them on the frame.
These numbers set the width of the guidelines in 1/32nds of an inch.
Rotate the wheel so that the number you want lines up with the index mark.
The bigger the number, the bigger the letters will be.
There are three main rows of holes in the middle of the disk.
Ignore the very top row for now.
To make guidelines, place your pencil tip in the second guide hole from the top row, and slide the guide along the T-Square.
Repeat this process with each of the other holes in the row except the first hole that we skipped.
Some of the holes are joined by curved lines.
This helps you see which lines are for each part of a letter.
The first hole we used makes guides for the height of the capitals and the ascenders of tall lowercase letters.
The middle hole makes guides for the height of standard lowercase letters.
This is called the x height.
The third hole makes the base line.
If you need more guidelines, slide your T-Square down the paper,
then align the top hole that we previously skipped with the bottom line and continue drawing lines.
The row of holes on the left, which we just used, makes guidelines in which lowercase letters are 3/5 as tall as capital letters.
You can also use the other two rows to create lines of different ratios.
The row in the middle makes evenly spaced guidelines, which is why it has no connecting curves.
This is good for writing in all caps, but it can also be used for regular text.
The third row of holes makes guidelines in which lowercase letters are 2/3 as tall as capitals.
It's also great for small caps.
The three rows of holes in the middle of the disk are usually all you need to use the Ames Lettering Guide,
but there are some extra features that can come in handy.
You can make slanted guidelines for scripts like Italic.
Place the angled side of the guide against your T-Square, and draw along the slanted edge.
Use the roller markings to keep the spacing between lines consistent.
The row of holes on the left side of the frame makes evenly spaced 1/8 inch lines.
The numbers on the left side of the wheel go with the row of holes labeled as metric.
These holes and numbers work the same way as the ones we used earlier,
except that they are measured in millimeters and only use even spacing.
The cutout on the right side of the frame is a template for drawing checkmarks.
And that's all there is to it! The Ames Lettering Guide is the perfect tool for making beautifully straight lettering.
You can find all the supplies we used at JetPens.com.