Until I can hire a pro to do it I'm doing it myself

[NILgravity]

When I have my 11 X 17 sheet ruled in illustrator what size should I make the word baloon text before it gets scaled down?

[Thomas Mauer]

I always recommend lettering at printsize dimensions in Illustrator because it will allow you to do placements at pixel precision and know that the lettering will be exactly where you want it in print:

6.875x10.4375" document size

0.125" bleed on all for sides, so:

6.625x10.1875" trim size (where the page will be trimmed during printing)

6x9" or 6x9.4375" live area - there are other live area sizes out there, but these will ensure your lettering doesn't get lost in the spine in fat books.

If you use a 6x9" live area, make the top margin 0.5" and the bottom margin 0.9375". If you use a 6x9.4375" live area, just center it.


Nate's guides are good to prepare a page before drawing it and if you're hand lettering directly on the artwork

[cyxodus]

Or you can drop by www.NinjaLettering.com and download the Illustrator lettering templates. You can also check out the video tutorials that teach the art of lettering.

I tried lettering at the 11x17 size and it's a pain trying to get the font to scale down to the right size. Just letter at the actual size.

[Kep!]

Here's the all purpose cheet sheet recently updated. It is in beta, so anyone noticing any errors, please let my fat fingers know.

[cyxodus]

Don't listen to Kep, his guide will only help you to become a better letterer.

[Thomas Mauer]

Originally Posted by Kep!

Here's the all purpose cheet sheet recently updated. It is in beta, so anyone noticing any errors, please let my fat fingers know.

borders, not boarders.

[cyxodus]

That's how Kep can afford to keep moving.

[Jason Arthur]

Anyone else think that several of us should get together and produce a book about lettering? A sort of "How-To" book that maybe touches on the basics, advanced techniques and other odds and ends that weren't covered in the two main books on the subject.

-- J

[cyxodus]

Kep talked about doing that but only if Clem and Tom were to help out. You guys have forgotten more than we've learned.

[t_orzechowski]

How am I supposed to know what I've forgotten?

=ahem=

Todd Klein's portion of the coloring / lettering book (coauthored by Mark Chiarello) meets my criteria. That, and he's genial about it.