David Marshall - Art Instructor | Art of the Comic Book | Ames Lettering Guide
Ames Lettering Guide
The Ames Lettering Guide is the standard tool for professional hand-lettering. To use, set up your paper, t-square and guide as show. Set the wheel at 3.5 for standard comic lettering. Place pencil point in one of the holes marked, and while holding t-square with one hand, slide guide across paper with pencil point. Repeat with each hole, and you will have the guide lines for three rows of letters.
2/3 Measure
The standard for mainstream comic books since the 1960s. The 2/3 Measure was designed for upper and lowercase lettering; there's too much "leading" between rows of uppercase text. In addition, keeping track of NOT using middle line can be difficult.
All Caps Measure
The All Caps Measure creates rows the exact same height as the 2/3 measure, with less leading and hassles.
All Caps Measure at 3.5 Scale
All Caps Measure at 4.5 Scale
The 4.5 Scale is used for educational comics aimed at younger readers. While the larger font is easier to read, it also limits the amount of text you can use per page.