- Stock: In Stock
- Model: BK-ALPHABETS-MANUAL-LETTER-DESIGN-1926
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. Trace the plates at full size, then adapt the capitals to your own layouts — that is what they were drawn for.
Complete your shelf: See also The Zanerian Manual of Alphabets and Engrossing (1918), Alphabets Old and New (1906), The Book of Ornamental Alphabets, Ancient & Modern (1860).
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
- Initials and borders for illuminated and decorative work
- 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
