LETTERI

NG
Lettering Instrumental Drawing Geometrical Construction Working Drawing Isometric Drawing
 IMPORTANCE OF
ENGINEERING
The lettering used in mechanical drawing is a single stroke, freehand form called single
stroke gothic.
LETTERING
To convey complete information working drawing must graphically portray the object in
various views accompanied by size description and instructive specifications in the
form of figured dimensions and notes.

All dimensions and notes should be lettered freehand in a plain, legible style that can be
rapidly executed.

Poor lettering detracts from the appearance of a drawing and often impairs its
usefulness regardless of the quality of line work.
 PROPORTION OF Lettering

LETTERS
The proportion is given by this formula:
where:
C = capital or uppercase letters
N = number or numerals
L = long stem
2 2
s = short oval & stem C=N=L and s= C or s= N
3 3
 Lettering

GUIDELINES
To attain uniform height of letter, very light horizontal guidelines called capital
line, waist line, base line and drop line are drawn.

In addition, very light vertical and inclined lined are drawn at random to keep the
letters uniform vertical or inclined.

Guidelines are absolutely essential for good lettering.

They must be drawn very light, so they don’t need to be erased.

Use relatively hard pencil lead such as 2H with long conical points.
 Lettering

GUIDELINES
Capital Lines

Waist Line

Base Line

Drop Line
 Lettering

STABILITY
If the width of the lower portion of a certain letters to be drawn equal to the
width of the upper portion it will make the letters unstable and too heavy.

To correct this, the upper portion of the letters B, E, F, S, X, & Z, and the
numbers 2, 3 and 8 must be reduced slightly to give it a stable appearance.
 Lettering

STYLES OF LETTERS
There are two styles of letters, the vertical and slant.

The slant letters are inclined at approximately 72 degrees.

Vertical letters are constructed 90 degrees with horizontal plane.

VERTICAL LETTERS SLANT LETTERS

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ELEMENTS OF
Stem letters LETTERS
Straight line of the letters that is drawn with a single
downward stroke of the hand.

3 4
1 2 2
3 4 1
 ELEMENTS OF
Lettering

Oval letters LETTERS

The oval is the other element of the letter.
They resemble ellipses.
The oval is the curved lines in a letter that is drawn in one way
or two way strokes of the hand.

1 12 1 12
 METHODS OF Lettering

CONSTRUCTIONS
Parallelogram method
Used by beginners using all the guidelines like the
horizontal, vertical and inclined guidelines.

Two — line method

Used by semi—skilled draftsman using horizontal
guidelines only.

Sight method
Used by skilled draftsman wherein letters are
constructed without guidelines.
 METHODS OF Lettering

CONSTRUCTIONS
V
E
S
R
I
T
N
I
G
C
L
A
E
L
S
L
T
E
R
T
O
T
K
E
E
R
I
N
G
 METHODS OF Lettering

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
CONSTRUCTIONS

SINGLE STROKE INCLINED LETTERING

 METHODS OF Lettering

CONSTRUCTIONS

15
C L N

6 3
OMPOSITION OF ETTERS AND UMERALS

4 2 4 4 2 10
In order that a piece of composition may
look well, it must have uniformity in slope, weight,
size and spacing of letters, words and sentences.
Compact and uniform lettering is not only
easily read but is beautiful as well.
Capital letters, numerals, integers and long
stems of lower case letters must have the same
height, short stems and ovals must be the long stems.
In a fractional number, the numerator and
denominator must have the same height and
must be the integer.