Alphabets: A Manual of Letter Design (1926) — Digital Download

Letter design with construction notes, as an instant download.

Alphabets: A Manual of Letter Design (1926) by Douglas C. McMurtrie presents complete alphabets with construction notes — the book that bridges the sign painter’s craft and the type designer’s discipline. Letterforms drawn to be built, not just admired.

Inside this 1926 pattern-book:

A pattern-book of letterforms: ornamental alphabets and initials collected for working craftsmen, not scholars. Lettering artists, sign painters, engravers, and calligraphers laying out signs, engravings, or illuminated work will find 74 pages of 1926 inspiration in Douglas C. McMurtrie’s plates.

Details:

• Complete 1926 edition scan — 72 pages
• Complete alphabets with construction notes
• Where craft lettering meets type design
• Plates drawn at working scale — trace, adapt, and letter from them
• Ornamental, Roman, and medieval hands in one reference
• Two files included: the original scan, cleaned of dust, stray marks, and handwritten notes, and a cleaned white-background edition that's easy on the eyes and the printer
• PDF format, instant download after purchase — no physical book ships

Tags: Books, Downloads, Vintage Books, Digital Download, Lettering, Design