4 Tips for Writing Calligraphic 3D Letters

3D lettering can give the signage of your business a unique character that will immediately attract the attention of those who pass near your business. This article discusses some helpful tips that you can use to produce attractive 3D letters for your signs.

Be Consistent in Shadow Placement

Shadows can give the letters in your signs remarkable depth. However, you should make sure that none of the shadows that you place on the letters appears to be out of place. You can do this by deciding on the direction from which light strikes your letters as you make the sign. For instance, your imaginary light source can be from the left hand side of the letters. In this way, all the shadows on your 3D lettering will be on the right hand side of the letters. This will give the shadows consistency to all who look at the sign.

Be Mindful of the Stroke Width

The 3D lettering will look more authentic if you ensure that the shadows are not out of proportion in relation to the strokes you make as you write the letters. For instance, down-strokes are usually thicker than upstrokes as you write. Thus, the shadows on upstrokes should be much thinner than the shadows on down-strokes.

Taper Off Shadows

Be mindful of the curves on all the letters that you write. Make sure that the shadows on those letters taper off at the top and the bottom of any curve. This is in line with the way light fades out at those points on your 3D lettering. Your words will appear to be fully complete when you taper off those shadows.

Don't Ignore Horizontal Strokes

Some people avoid putting shadows on the horizontal strokes of their lettering because those people may not be sure about the direction from which their imaginary light is striking those strokes. A simple trick that you can implement on those horizontal strokes is to assume that light is striking them from above. Consequently, all the shadows on those strokes will be on the lower sides of the strokes. Remember to vary the thickness of those shadows based on whether the stroke is an upstroke or a down-stroke.

You may need to practice a lot before you can gain the deftness needed to make very attractive 3D lettering on your signs. In the meantime, it may be necessary for you to ask a sign expert to make your business signs as you perfect your skill in writing 3D lettering.