Part 3

Words lettered in “Italic” on a showcard break up the monotony. When there is considerable reading matter on a card or sign, a few lines in Italic will relieve the denseness of the lettering and invite reading.

Italic is also much used for catch lines—the short lines—which often occur between the important lines on a card.

The words “the”, “our”, “on” and many others are usually written in Italic.

The last line of lettering on the adjoining reproduction shows some slight variations preferred by showcard writers, in that the spur at the top of some of the staffs is sharper, and on other letters the bottom spur of the first stroke is omitted. In working under pressure many showcard writers omit the spur in all first strokes on the h, k, m and n.

The “Italic” numerals are simple—and much used for prices on any style card. In fact, the Italic is much preferred when there is considerable small lettering to do and the work must be hurried.

DIRECTIONS FOR “OLD ENGLISH”

While the “Old English” stands out in an unusual way for beauty and dignity it must at all times be used with the utmost discrimination. It does not lend itself ordinarily to showcard or poster work and finds its best purposes in connection with Christmas showcards or monogram effects. Jewelry, silverware and gift suggestions of the valuable variety express themselves to the highest advantage in the “Old English” alphabet.

A point to be remembered in using this alphabet, however, is not to combine capitals in one word. Capitals can only be used in connection with the lower case letters. Some of the other alphabets, more specifically the “Egyptian,” work out very effectively in “solid caps.” However, this effect can never obtain in the case of the “Old English.”

The alphabet as shown on the plate is self-explanatory as to combination of strokes. The letters may be made with the brush held at an angle square with the stroke, emphasizing the fine lines, or they may be made with the broad point pen, depending on the size desired.

This alphabet is the most time-taking of any to make and as it adapts itself to only limited purposes, should be used very rarely.

DESCRIPTIONS OF PRACTICAL CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 8½×17½ inches. Light tan mottled mat board lettered in dark brown ink. This card demonstrates an important point in showcard writing, that—if the price is to be displayed in large figures, the general outline of the space occupied by the numerals should conform to the proportions of the card. Thus a narrow card demands a condensed price.

Card No. 2. Size 20×12 inches. Cream tinted linen finish mat board. Initial capitals in the first line were in bright red, the other lettering in brown, while the price figures were bright red outlined with brown. This style card is reproduced for the purpose of showing that an extended card such as this, which is called the “landscape layout,” should have an extended price that will be in keeping with the general proportions of the card.

Card No. 3. Size 6×12 inches. Light green mottled mat board with lettering in light blue outlined with dark blue and then decorated with dots of white and black. This shows a very pretty card for single price, and in this size also the price figures should conform to the general outline of the card.

Cards Nos. 4 and 5 are what is known as “strip” signs. That is, they are lettered on narrow strips. The originals were about 4½ inches wide. Card No. 4 was lettered on light maroon cardboard with black ink. Card No. 5 was white with black lettering.

If the student enters into practical work and has occasion to make many narrow strips on paper, such paper can be procured in varying widths and in rolls from any firm that carries supplies for showcard writers.

DESCRIPTIONS OF CARDS FOR SUMMER

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. Gold mat board in fancy “cut-out” pattern. Large lettering done in white color with air-brushed shading in light red. Smaller lettering done in black ink.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. This card was made of tan mottled mat board with air-brushed panel as shown in reddish brown. Large lettering is in white—the small lettering in black. Such cut-out panel effects have the appearance of two sheets of mat board being used.

DESCRIPTION OF CARDS ON PAGE 39

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. Cardboard is imitation Circassian Walnut lettered in plain white. In lettering on cardboard of this character the student should bear in mind that such board is of necessity an oil finish and that paint with considerable dryer, or printer’s ink mixed with gasoline are best for lettering. Water colors are very unsatisfactory on surfaces of this kind.

This board is a fancy cut-out and may also be procured in the mahogany finish.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Plain white cardboard with wall paper mat pasted onto the white board. Space occupied by the lettering was first air-brushed in light green which shows very faintly in the reproduction and this was then lettered with white showcard color, using No. 12 brush.

DESCRIPTION OF “SPRING” CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. This showcard was made of maroon colored railroad bristol. The large lettering, in the “Egyptian” style, was done with yellow color. The clover effect on each of the first letters in the three words was done by grouping three dots in light red color. The smaller lettering at the bottom of the card was done in white color as was also the border, as indicated. This card is attractive in style, featuring the side panel effect with broken border.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Plain white cardboard mounted with a card of pale green. The word “Seeds” is lettered in deep yellow, closely outlined in dark green. The smaller lettering is done in the same shade of dark green and outlined “raggedly” in bright yellow. The color combinations are very effective, especially in connection with this particular kind of “merchandise.”

DESCRIPTION OF EASTER CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. Fancy cut-out, heavy purple mat cardboard. Card was beveled and makes a very pretty design for Easter. The lettering was done with the No. 12 brush, using white ink. The word “Hats” was outlined with lavender. The words “Easter Parade” were cross-striped, as shown, with gold ink although this appears as almost white in the reproduction.

The price cards shown in the reproduction were lettered on purple cardboard. The first price ticket was white, shaded in light green with the air brush. The next card was lettered in white and shaded with lavender. The third card was lettered in lavender and outlined with white. The border of the card was air-brushed with green ink and then striped with white. The last card shown was lettered with yellow on purple cardboard shaded with light red.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. The original of this card was very beautiful. The center panel in the reproduction does not give the clear detail of the quality of stock used. The background of the original was heavy purple mat board and the center panel was of grain finished cover stock tinted with purple. The center panel in the original gave the appearance of a piece of white kid stretched over the surface of the mat. The edges of the lettered panel were heavily air-brushed in black ink. The lettering was done with small size model “C” speed ball pen.

Such cards add much to the attractiveness of any window display and students should procure samples of this paper stock from some source and note its beautiful finish.

If work is being done in class—such examples should be exhibited to the students.

DESCRIPTION OF CARDS FOR SUMMER

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. Made of white cardboard with air-brushed panel in light blue and panel is striped with faint white lines. You will note that the lines are heavier at the top and bottom, apparently “fading out” toward the center. This produces a very cool, elusive effect, suggesting water. The lettering is done in white color with slight air brush shading in light green. For suggested coolness the colors here used are uniquely effective.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Light tan mottled mat board. Large lines of lettering in dark gray—first line outlined with black lines, second with light green. The bottom line of lettering is done in black. The panel in the ornamentation was done in gray—the flowers are of bright red outlined with white against circular background of dark blue. The conventional foliage falling from flowers was done in light green. Card No. 2 would be very effective in a window display of footwear.

MORE CARDS FOR SUMMER

Card No. 1. Size 9½×20 inches. Gold mat board with a cut-out picture pasted near the top as shown. The checker-board border was made with bright red. The word “Dresses” was lettered with No. 12 brush using bright red showcard color. This line of lettering was also shaded and striped with white showcard color. The small lines of lettering were done with No. 4 model “C” speed ball pen, using regular ink for pen work. The numeral “4” was lettered with white and then lightly air-brushed or shaded with dark red.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Dark brown cardboard with the letter “W” in light green, outlined with gold. The balance of the first two lines of lettering was done with No. 12 brush using cream showcard color. The last three lines were made with a smaller brush using light red showcard color and mixed with yellow to form a very pale pink.

Card No. 3. Size 8½×13 inches. Plain white cardboard, round-cornered, with border outside of the panel air-brushed in light yellow. The flowers which show faintly in the reproduction were violets made with a small brush, using purple ink. The vines were done in light green. The lettering was done with model “C” speed ball pens, using gray ink for shading the words, “Men’s Shirts.” The numeral “3” was outlined in white.

Card No. 4. Size 9×5½ inches. Plain white cardboard lettered with No. 12 brush and black showcard color. The border and the figures were then airbrushed in purple ink and the face of the figures striped with white.

DESCRIPTION OF FALL CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. Greenish gray mottled mat board, cut out in attractive easel effect. Panel is of white cardboard with air-brushed shading in yellow. The words “Fall Opening” are lettered in dark red. The smaller lettering was done in black ink with the model “C” speed ball pen.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Dark green mottled mat board. Initial letter in “Footwear” was done in white color against a bright red background, with border in gold. Balance of letters in word “Footwear” were done in white.

The four lines of Italic lettering were done in light cream color. Note the even slant in the “Italic.”

DESCRIPTION OF LATE AUTUMN CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 16×22 inches. The pumpkin design was air-brushed, by first cutting out a stencil the size necessary and then using orange and yellow air brush ink with an outline of light green.

The small line of lettering was done with a No. 3 model “C” Speed Ball pen. The words “Hallowe’en Dainties” were lettered in “Egyptian” with a No. 12 brush, and the color was dark red.

These two lines were air-brush shaded in light green. The last two lines of lettering were done with a small brush in black ink.

The “frosting” effect was obtained by using heavy white showcard ink as indicated, and then ground mica was sprinkled on the ink. This makes a very attractive showcard for Hallowe’en season.

Card No. 2. Size 16×22 inches. Thanksgiving design. The drawing of the Pilgrim was made offhand, first being sketched in with pencil, and then black ink was used, touched up with white. The showcard stock was of reddish orange. The word “Thanksgiving” was drawn with the brush in black and shaded with white.

The small price cards shown in the center were plain white cardboard. The first sign shows the method of making a “mask” or “cut-out” for the lining of a large number of cards, when it is necessary to have them equally spaced.

The next card shows a suggested penciled-in sketch, and the remainder, the actual pen lettering. These cards were then daintily air brushed on the edges. The square card shown was a small card three inches square, also lettered with pen.

DESCRIPTION OF CHRISTMAS CARDS

Card No. 1. Size 14×22 inches. Deep blue cardboard stock with border line in white. The words “Toyland is Ready” were done in bright green color. White color was then applied freely and with careless effect at the top of the white letters and also in the bottom curves and spurs. While the white color was quite wet ground glass or “mica” was sprinkled into it, thus producing the effect of snow. The balance of the lettering was done with the brush in bright yellow color.

Price cards shown in the center of the reproduction were made of white cardboard. Numerals were written in with black ink with model “B” speed ball pen. Each card features a different colored, flat band border of dark blue, tangerine, maroon, orange, mauve and bright yellow, respectively. This border is made by “chiseling” the brush out perfectly flat and laying it full width, or whatever width may be desired, on the edge of the card and dragging it steadily down on each edge of the card. Colored borders on price cards add much to their attractiveness. Try out the combinations suggested.

Card No. 2. Size 14×22 inches. Plain white cardboard mounting with panel of dark green, mottled cover stock. The word “Boys” was lettered in dark green and closely and somewhat unevenly outlined in bright yellow. The balance of the lettering was done in very light green, the last line also underscored in the same color.