Lettering for Draftsmen, Engineers and Students

A Practical System of Freeland Lettering for Working Drawings

“The need of a practical work on lettering, however, has been and is daily experienced by many draftsmen, and in the following pages the writer has endeavored to set for the proper methods of forming purely free-hand lettering in a simple, easily acquired way, giving, at the same time, the proper safeguards against the errors most commonly committed.” – Preface.

This popular guide to early 20th-century typography was originally compiled by Charles William Reinhardt in 1895. This is an example of the 14th edition, revised and enlarged, published by D. Van Nostrand Company of New York in 1917. The 20+ year publication history reflects the utility of the volume, intended for a broad audience and sold for a modest price. The contents give concise directions on hand-drawn lettering – different cases, alphabets, titling, and photographic reproductions are among the various topics covered. Fifteen different plates showcase a variety of fonts, map lettering, graphic references, and more.