| MASSED WRITING (Lines near together.) |
FINE WRITING (Lines spaced and separated.) |
| Has an effect of richness, depending on tone of mass and close, even spacing. | Has an effect of elegance, depending on form of letters and distinct arrangement of lines. |
| Simple method (for ordinary use); saving of time and space, suited for long inscriptions or small spaces. | Refined method (for special use); lavish of space and time, suited for large spaces or short inscriptions. |
| Lines generally of equal length, or if some fall short, end-fillings may be used—gaps are avoided if possible. | Lines may be of unequal length, giving irregular, right-hand edge, as in poetry (see p. 263)—gaps allowed on either side.[p263] |
| Ascending and descending stems—medium or short: serifs simple, and not strongly marked. | Stems—medium or long: long stems often a marked feature, ending in carefully made heads and feed, or flourishes. |
| Suited for slanted-pen forms of “gothic” tendency, and heavy, black writing (example, “black letter”).* | Suited for straight and slanted pen forms of “roman” tendency, and slender, light writing (example, “Italic”).* |
| Requires generally contrasts of colour or weight (p. 330), and will bear more and heavier illumination (Line-fillings, Initials, Borders, &c.). | Allows variety in size of Letters (see pp. 298, 328): its typical treatment is as plain, fine lettering—better without heavy Borders, &c. (p. 299). |
| * Note.—Both modes are suited for Roman Capitals and Small-Letters. | |
These two modes may not have been recognised by the ancient letter-craftsmen: their comparison here is intended chiefly as a stimulus to definite thought, not as a hard-and-fast division of two “styles”; for there may be any number of possible compromises between them. In practice, however, it will be found convenient to distinguish them as two modes of treating LINES OF WRITING which produce markedly different effects, the one, as it were, of COLOUR, the other of FORM.
Plates XI., XIII., XIV., XV., XVII. may be taken as examples of “Massed Writing,” Plates IV., V., VI., VII., IX., (XXI.) of “Fine Writing”; the other plates suggest compromises between the two.
Poetry (see p. 95), or any text consisting of, or which is conveniently broken up into unequal lines, may be treated as “Fine Writing.” There is no objection to a straight left-hand edge with an irregular right-hand edge,60 where the cause of the irregularity [p264] is natural and obvious, and no fault of the scribe’s. Such an arrangement, or rather, straightforward writing, of poetry is often the best by virtue of its freedom and simplicity (see p. 371).
In many cases, however, a more formal and finished treatment of an irregular line text is to be preferred (especially in inscriptions on stone, metal, &c.), and the most natural arrangement is then an approximately symmetrical one, inclining to “Fine Writing” in treatment. This is easily obtained in inscriptions which are previously set-out, but a good plan—certainly the best for MSS.—is to sort the lines of the text into longs and shorts (and sometimes medium lines), and to set-in or indent the short lines two, three, or more letters. The indentations on the left balance the accidental irregularities on the right (fig. 154, and Plate IV.), and give an appearance of symmetry to the page (see Phrasing, p. 384).
Either mode of spacing (close or wide) may be carried to an unwise or ridiculous extreme. “Leading” the lines of type was much in vogue a hundred years ago, in what was then regarded as “high-class” printing. Too often the wide-spaced line and “grand” manner of the eighteenth-century printer was pretentious rather than effective: this was partly due to the degraded type which he used, but form, arrangement, and expression all tended to be artificial. Of late years a rich, closely massed page has again become fashionable. Doubtless there has been a reaction in this from the eighteenth century to an earlier and better manner, but the effect is sometimes overdone, and the real ease and comfort of the reader has been sacrificed to his rather imaginary æstheticism.
By attaching supreme importance to readableness, [p265] the letter-craftsman gains at least a rational basis for his work, and is saved from the snares which lurk in all, even in the best, modes and fashions.
EVEN SPACING
In the spacing of a given inscription on a limited surface, where a comparatively large size of letter is required, what little space there is to spare should generally be distributed evenly and consistently (a, fig. 155). Lavish expenditure of space on the margins would necessitate an undue crowding61 of the lettering (b), and wide interspacing62 would allow insufficient margins (c)—either arrangement suggesting inconsistency (but see p. 352).
Note.—A given margin looks larger the heavier the mass of the text,63 and smaller the lighter the mass of the text. And, therefore, if lettering be spread out, as in “Fine Writing,” the margins should be extra wide to have their true comparative value. The space available for a given inscription may in this way largely determine the arrangement of the lettering, comparatively small and large spaces suggesting respectively “Massed Writing” and “Fine Writing” (see p. 262).
In certain decorative inscriptions, where letters are merely treated as decorative forms—readableness [p267] being a matter of little or no moment—the treatment of the spacing is adapted to a particular surface; and, for example:—
THEORY & PRACTICE
The above discussion of theories and “rules” for the construction and arrangement of good lettering is intended to suggest some useful methods—not to provoke excessive fitting or planning, but rather to avoid it. Straightforwardness is perhaps the greatest virtue in a craft, and whatever “rules” it may break through, it is refreshing and charming.
An excellent example for the scribe or inscription maker is the method of an early printer, who had only four or five sorts of type—say, “Small-Letters” and “Capitals” (Roman and Italic) and “Large Capitals,” and who, without any elaborate “design,” simply put his types into their proper [p268] places, and then pulled off his pleasant sheets of “commonplace” printing.
The scribe should choose the best and simplest forms and arrangements, and master them before going further; he should have a few definite types “at his finger tips,” and, for everyday use, a matter-of-course way of putting them down on paper.
Ambiguity is one of the greatest faults in a craft. It comes often from vague ambitions. One may be inspired by good ambitions, but the immediate concern of the craftsman is to know what he is capable of doing at the present, and to do it.
Let the meaning of your work be obvious unless it is designed purely for your own amusement. A good craftsman seeks out the commonplace and tries to master it, knowing that “originality” comes of necessity, and not of searching.
CHAPTER XV THE ROMAN ALPHABET & ITS DERIVATIVES The Roman Alphabet — Proportions of Letters: Widths — Upper & Lower Parts—Essential or Structural Forms — Characterisation of Forms — Built-Up Forms — Simple-Written Capitals — Uncials — Capitals & Small-Letters — Early, Round, Upright, Formal Hands — Slanted-Pen Small-Letters — Roman Small-Letters — Italics — Semi-Formal Hands — Of Formal Writing Generally — Decorative Contrasts — Ornamental Letters.
The Roman Alphabet
The Roman Alphabet is the foundation of all our alphabets (see Chapter I.). And since the full [p269] development of their monumental forms about 2000 years ago, the Roman Capitals have held the supreme place among letters for readableness and beauty. They are the best forms for the grandest and most important inscriptions, and, in regard to lettering generally, a very good rule to follow is: When in doubt, use Roman Capitals.
The penman may with advantage devote some study to a fine monumental type of Roman Capital (such as that of the Trajan Column Inscription: Plates I. and II.), and endeavour to embody its virtues in a built-up pen form for use in MSS. (p. 294).
PROPORTIONS OF LETTERS: WIDTHS
The marked distinction between the “Square” and the “Round” forms, and the varying widths of the letters—as seen in the early inscriptions,64 are characteristic of the Roman Alphabet. We may broadly distinguish Wide and Narrow letters thus—