My '80s Lettering

A spunky alternative to the Ames/Speedball process

As a recent art school graduate, Ames guides and calligraphy nibs scared the crap out of me. I landed on a self-taught process of drawing handmade lettering guides on scrap paper, then lettering with whatever was nearby. How'd that work out?

Resources for traditional lettering

Handmade lettering guides

These were drawn on scrap paper or Post-It notes, cap heights and bottom margins eyeballed from looking at printed comics. The process was error-prone process at best. Measurements varied as the pencil points wore down, and there was always a danger of losing the guide on long projects. Using an Ames guide would've been a lot easier.

Handmade lettering guide on scrap paper
Lettering rows pencilled with handmade lettering guide
Proceed to letter

Lettering with markers

I didn't own or understand how calligraphy nibs worked at the time, and still treated lettering as an afterthought. After failing with drawing nibs and technical pens, I settled on allegedly permanent markers. Alex Toth and others did amazing work with them. My problem was being too lazy and dismissive to learn basic comics calligraphy. That would require spending hours studying and copying letterforms of professionals.

My old lettering had spunk and personality at the expense of consistency and legibility.

Old and redux versions of an old panel

This panel from "Bored Sick" was lettered with a homemade lettering guide, "au naturale" style with a permanent marker. The second example is the original art with new lettering and Ames settings; the third is completely new art with lettering based on the original's cap height and bottom margin measurements. 15+ years of traditional lettering prevented me from matching my old letterforms.

1988 original art, lettered with handmade lettering guide and permanent marker
Original art with new lettering: Ames 4.0 three-quarter ratio, Hunt 107 nib
2025 redrawn art, lettered with original handmade lettering guide and Speedball B6

Another example

This is another scene from "Bored Sick." The new version matches the homemade lettering guide measurements, but is lettered with a Speedball nib. The new art is based on Ink Comics by Paul Celli.

1988 original art, lettered with handmade lettering guide and permanent marker
2025 redrawn art, lettered with original handmade lettering guide and Speedball B6

In conclusion

Revisiting my old work proved that using an Ames guide is faster, easier, and more precise than my self-taught and avoidant alternative. The decision to avoid it and calligraphy nibs as based on youth and inexperience. My old lettering had a certain flair, but often sacrificed legibility and consistency for rugged indie spirit.

Dave Marshall, hiding in the rubble of the school they tore down to build the old school