Hand Lettering Design Art

Vinyl Lettering started out as a way to make signs. Now it has creeped into just about every aspect of our life. When the whole industry was started it was just to replace the tedious and time consuming art of hand lettering. Computers were new on the scene and somebody recognized that if a printer could print something created on paper then maybe you could cut out shapes as well. In fact, the first vinyl plotter was a Hewlett Packard plotter.

Hewlett Packard had originally built the plotter for architects and engineers. The machine acted like a robot moving the paper in one direction as a pen moved in the other direction. An observant person realized that if a knife was substituted for a pen that the knife could cut out shapes. If some paper with adhesive on it was substituted for the paper then the vinyl lettering and shapes could be applied to just about anything. Contact paper goes way back and was protecting textbooks in the 1960's.

Soon after there was number of companies offering vinyl plotters for sale. It wasn't too long before some of these machines were jumbo sized creating vinyl lettering and shapes the size of bedsheets. The first drawing program that would work for this operation was Autocad but soon other drawing programs such as Coreldraw and Adobe could be used as well.

Although there were a multitude of vinyl lettering that could be created with plotters, there was no way to do shades of color. Also, very intricate and multi-colored designs could be a pain to do with ordinary vinyl so somebody came up with the idea to print on the vinyl. It takes a special type of ink and printer but by using solvent ink it is possible to print on the vinyl. Once the design has been printed it is a good idea to have it laminated. With lamination, printed vinyl lettering can last five years.

Over the recent years, a new creative style has been gaining popularity in the field of visual arts. More and more artists have been trying their hand in the art of "Calligraphy". But this visual art actually dates back to ancient history where ancestors used this as their style of writing. Today, calligraphy is known as a design and execution of lettering that turn basic words into a creative visual of lines, curves, and strokes.

Not only is calligraphy now a passion for many art lovers but it is also an income opportunity for many. With the right execution calligraphic illustrations are a beauty. This art form can be illustrated on practically anything-product packaging, billboards, merchandise, signage, logos, and so much more.

If you love art, then learning calligraphy may come naturally. There are a lot of software that can aid you, there are online video tutorials, and self-study articles to help you get there. Here are a few quick steps to get you started.

Study the art

Like any visual art form, practice makes perfect. There is no degree needed to practice and learn this art. But taking a few formal study courses will definitely help you. Try to get your hands on software tools and even physical equipment like those broad tip pens and brushes and just keep your creativity flowing and practice lettering. In art, there are no boundaries. So just keep doodling, keep scribbling, go online and get inspiration from professional calligraphers, read art magazines, and just have fun with it.