[Woodcarver] Geometry question for the group

[Victor Hamburger]

Susan,

Brilliant explaination, a very clear and easy method, I love it!

Thanks,  Vic H

Classic Carving Patterns wrote:
> 
> Lettering in an arc can be done is several graphics and word programs
> ... But I don't use them.  I should note that I learned my lettering for
> many years of sign crafting and truck lettering long before there were
> home PC's.  Now that dates me doesn't it.  The reason I don't use them,
> is because they distort the letters to create the arc effect.  So I use
> a very old fashioned, long method for doing arced lettering or any other
> lettering shapes. 
> 
> First I will pull the circle using a compass if it's a large circle as
> on a 4' x 8' sign blank.  For wood plates I simply put the plate upside
> down on a sheet of tracing paper and run a pencil along the rim to
> create my circle.  
> 
> Next, I begin folding the tracing paper so that the sides of the circle
> line up and run a crease along the circle's center.  That's my first
> diameter line. Fold again so that the diameter line is folded in half,
> crease, and I have my 90 degree diameter line ... The circle has been
> cut into four sections. Match two adjacent 90 degree radius lines and
> crease. I continue to fold and crease until each quadrant has been
> sectioned into either four or eight radius lines.  Those radius lines
> are my guidelines for the slant of the letters!  So a L will follow the
> slant of the closest radius line I created with the folds.
> 
> Use your compass find your center point which was established from all
> of the folding and pulling in your guidelines.  You will want a margin
> guideline along the rim and a guideline on which the letters will rest.
> So a 12" diameter plate may have a 3/8" rim margin guideline and a
> second guideline 
> 1 3/8" from the rim for 1" high letters.
> 
> Now I go to my graphics program, type in my text, choose my font and
> font size, and print off several copies of just regular text.  
> 
> I use a very simple cut and tape technique for placing the wording onto
> the tracing paper.  I cut out each individual letter and tape it in
> place with just a little tape along the top.   I can adjust the spacing
> as I work and I can adjust the distance between words as I work and I
> can use the folded radius lines to keep the lettering curving nicely.
> 
> I do it this way for several reasons.  When you have your tracing paper
> well folded you will see that each section where a letter is to be
> placed is the top section of a pie shaped wedge.  The top area of the
> lettering section is wider that the bottom section at the guideline.
> Graphics programs and word programs distort letters in this pie shaped
> way.  The top of the letters are pull out further than the bottom
> sections ... They become distorted especially on larger circles.  By
> using regular text and taping it into place I avoid any distortion.  
> 
> In any lettering layout you have to deal with both spacing between
> letters, spacing between words, and spacing between phrases.  Some
> letters are considered as 1 unit or space letters - a,b,c,d.  Some are
> half space letters - t,j,f.  Some are quarter space letters - I,l, 1.
> And some are 1 1/2 space letters - m, w.  Crazy making stuff unless you
> are really into graphic arts!  All this means is that the written lower
> case L takes up less room than an upper case M.  You can depend on the
> graphics program to do your spacing but again you have the problem of
> the distortion from the arch.  I believe that you will find that when
> you cut and tape the letters into place you can do so very easily by eye
> without a lot of space measurements! You will know when the word looks
> right or if it needs a little more fudging.
> 
> Once the words are taped into place I can cut out those words as one
> unit and move them around the plate rim to adjust for spacing between
> other words or phrases.
> 
> By this time I usually have a piece of tracing paper that has all sorts
> of cut and tape letters and even cut and tape words over it.  So, slap a
> new sheet of tracing paper on top of your 'rough' design, tape these two
> sheets together, go to your storm door on a sunny day and tape the two
> sheets to the storm door window.  The sunlight will come through both
> sheets wonderfully and it will be easy for you to trace a final clean
> copy of your pattern for tracing to your plate.
> 
> I know this is a lot of fussing over lettering but if I am adding words
> to any patterns I am doing so because they are important to the design
> ... Therefore worth my time to do it the best way I know how.