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My Top 5 Tools for Hand Lettering

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In This Lesson...

  • Practice > Tools
  • My top 5 tools for hand lettering, including...
    • Price
    • Where to purchase
    • Pros & Cons

Practice. Practice. Practice.

There are a bunch of ways to approach vector lettering. I've tested many, but my tried and true method is two steps and super effective:

  1. Draw letters.
  2. Trace letters in Adobe Illustrator.

Because Step 1 involves drawing, a question that I hear often is, "What pen/pencil did you use to draw that?" Some lettering artists don't like this question, but I don't mind it, because when I was starting out, I asked it too. The truth is, there are countless tools that can be used to make beautiful marks and lines for hand-lettering, but even more important than the pen you put on your paper is the practice you put into your craft. Tips, tricks, tools, and techniques are useless without practice.

My Top 5 Tools for Hand Lettering

I love trying out new markers, pens, and pencils, and I recommend that you experiment with as many different types as you can. The list below covers the five tools that I use for consistently great results.

  1. Copic Sketch Marker (Brush Tip)
    • $5.25 @ DickBlick.com
    • Pros
      • Nib point holds up under lots of abuse
      • Nib is flexible but not too soft for beginners
      • Doesn't smear on tracing paper
    • Cons
      • Best when used with some sort of marker paper
      • Ink bleeds and runs out quickly when used on cheap printer paper
  2. Chartpak Ad Marker (Chisel Tip)
    • $3.00 @ DickBlick.com
    • Pros
      • Has a wide, sharp chisel that allows for strokes of varying thickness
      • Black ink is extra smooth and highly opaque
      • Comes in a variety of lighter colors that can be used to build up letter forms with multiple strokes
    • Cons
      • So stinky that anyone nearby is sure to flash you some side-eye
  3. Pilot Precise V5 Pen
    • $1.90 @ JetPens.com
    • Pros
      • Has a tiny 'Rollerball' in the tip that makes for a smooth, gliding feel and results in clean linework
      • Comes in several colors (I like using red to edit my sketches)
    • Cons
      • A little less precise than Micron pens (but still a better drawing experience, IMHO)
  4. Bic #2 Mechanical Pencil (.07mm)
  5. Wacom Intuos Pen (Stylus)
    • Multiple product offerings @ Wacom.com
    • I frequently use a stylus for sketch refinements in Photoshop. It's a great way to speed up your workflow and quickly explore different design choices. Browse through the Wacom website and you'll soon find that there are a lot of different setups to choose from. It all depends on how you like to work, but here's what I use:
      1. Wacom Intuos and desktop computer
        • Best for refinement and precision sketching
      2. Wacom tablet stylus and iPad
        • Great way to capture ideas outside of your studio

Recap

When it comes to drawing letterforms for vector tracing, I've used everything from tree bark to butter knives. Don't misunderstand...tools matter, but a commitment to routine practice and experimentation is the only way to build lasting skill. The markers, pens and pencils you purchase don't need to be exotic or expensive; they just need to be reliable and suited to the style you're trying to achieve.

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Welcome to Type Builder!

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Origins

Four years ago, I discovered the work of a few designers who had dedicated their careers to the art of hand lettering, and I was so inspired that I decided to try it for myself. After a couple of months spent practicing with various pens and markers, I wondered if I could make a clean vector trace of my lettering in Adobe Illustrator. I gave it a try, but the results were embarrassingly bad:

  • The thickness of my letters was inconsistent.
  • I had noticeable flat spots on most of my curves.
  • And there were visible corners and kinks where I wanted smooth transitions.

Even worse, the trace didn't come close to resembling my original sketch. The whole process seemed clunky and slow, and I felt like it was pointless to try again. Luckily, I didn't quit. Instead, I decided to learn everything I could about tracing my sketches with vector paths in Illustrator. Over time, three things happened:

  1. I gradually developed my own approach to vector lettering.
  2. I found that I could tweak well known Illustrator techniques to help create beautiful letterforms.
  3. And I discovered that some practices are universal no matter what is being traced.

Now, four years later, I've decided it's time to share the lessons I've learned.

Why would I do that?

I've spent hundreds of hours digging through Adobe Illustrator tutorials and help forums. The amount of useful information on creating clean vector paths is astounding. If you're new to vector tracing, there are a ton of great resources available at the convenience of a Google search!

Because I've benefited so much from what other artists and designers have freely shared online, I think it's only fair that I continue the tradition.

Type Builder Basics

If there's one thing that I've always found frustrating about learning from online tutorials, it's the amount of information packed into them. Sometimes, the sheer density of a lesson can be overwhelming, especially with time in short supply and deadlines approaching.

With that in mind, I created Type Builder. Here's a quick breakdown of the Type Builder Basics:

  • What is Type Builder?
    • Type Builder is a place to find quick vector lettering tips for Adobe Illustrator.
  • Who is Type Builder for?
    • Type Builder is for anyone who wants to make beautiful, custom type in Illustrator.
  • Why should someone visit Type Builder?
    • Building vector letterforms can be tricky. Capturing the warmth and character of handdrawn lettering with clean vector paths is even trickier. Type Builder offers practical tips to help demystify the vector construction process.
  • When and where will Type Builder updates be made?
    • New posts will be added every Tuesday, and I'll also be posting reminders on my Instagram and LinkedIn profiles.
  • How can you get the most out of Type Builder?
    • Think of Type Builder as quick, compact lessons. Each lesson presents one important tip, trick, technique or tool that you can add to your vector lettering repertoire.

Getting Started

That's all you need to know to get started with Type Builder. I've got a lot of great lessons planned, so keep checking in over the coming weeks and months to learn more about how you can make clean letters and fast vectors!