Remember when we had to hand letter every single detail on a sheet?

I mean, back in my first job at a firm in Charlotte around 2005, we'd spend hours with a Leroy set and ink, and if you messed up a number you'd have to start the whole sheet over. Now, I just set up a text style in AutoCAD and it's done in seconds. It's wild how much time that frees up, but I do miss the quiet focus of that old process sometimes. Anyone else still have their old lettering guides in a drawer somewhere?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph5291mo ago

Ever think that speed kills the craft? You get perfect letters now but lose the skill behind them. That quiet focus was where you learned real patience.

ryan_taylor241mo ago

Feel the same way about a lot of old skills. Speed turns practice into just making a product, not learning the feel of the tool in your hand. You start chasing the result instead of living in the process. That's when the real connection to the craft gets lost forever, doesn't it?

the_luna1mo ago

You know, I still set a timer for ten minutes of slow practice before I let myself speed up. It keeps that quiet focus alive.