Hand lettering makes us feel as if we had somehow traveled in time. As if, in an incomprehensible course of events, we had gone back to days that were less cluttered and busy. Days when design was done with one’s hands and an artist could be an artist. Fortunately, there is a blooming hand lettering trend that aims to bring these days back. The expressive, unpretentious nature of lettering has brought us relief: the idea that we can once again explore our craft far away from pixel perfection. In this article, we will share 14 beautifully lettered book covers from the late 1800s and early 1900s that will surely inspire your next design project.
1. The Alphabet of Flowers and Fruit
Dean & Son, The Alphabet of Flowers and Fruit: Internet Archive2. Wee Tots
Amy Blanchard & Ida Waugh, Wee Tots: University of Florida Digital Collections3. Soyer’s Shilling Cookery for the People
Alexis Soyer, Soyer’s Shilling Cookery for the People: The Foods of England Project4. Hey Diddle Diddle
McLoughlin Brothers, Hey Diddle Diddle: University of Florida Digital Collections5. The Locomobile Book
The Locomobile Book, 1909: New York Public Library Digital Collections6. The ABC of Animals
McLoughlin Bros, The ABC of Animals: University of Florida Digital Collections7. What to Draw & How to Draw It
E. G. Lutz, What to Draw & How to Draw It: Internet Archive8. The Snow Image
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Snow Image: Open Library9. Voyages Extraordinaires
Jules Verne, Voyages Extraordinaires: Wikimedia Commons10. P.T. Barnum’s Route Book
P.T. Barnum, Route Book: via Keith Tatum on Dribbble11. Cinderella
George Routledge and Sons, Cinderella: Internet Archive12. The Baby’s Own Aesop
Walter Crane, The Baby’s Own Aesop: Internet Archive13. 1984
George Orwell, 1984: University College London – George Orwell Archives14. The Story of Jack and the Giants
Richard Doyle, The Story of Jack and the Giants: Internet ArchiveCreate your own!
The amazing designers at Creative Market are constantly creating new tools to make lettering more accessible to all of us, offering wonderful graphic sets, brushes, textures, vectors & fonts. Check out a few of them below:
Download these worksheets and start practicing with simple instructions and tracing exercises.
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Brand strategist. Creating design tools to empower creative entrepreneurs. Author of the Lean Branding book. MA in Design Management from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
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