lettering

thumb|Custom lettering on the spine of a 1960s book Lettering or handlettering is a term for artfully drawing letters, instead of writing them simply. Each letter is created with attention to detail and has a unique role within a composition. Lettering is created as an image, with letters that are meant to be used in a unique configuration. Lettering words do not always translate into alphabets that can later be used in a typeface, since they are created with a specific word in mind.

==Examples of application== thumb|A memorial plaque by [[Eric Gill|alt=A stone memorial tablet with deeply engraved lettering]] Lettering includes unadorned lettering used for purposes such as blueprints and comic books, as well as decorative lettering such as sign painting and custom graphics, posters, for a letterhead or business wordmark, lettering in stone, lettering for advertisements, fileteado, graffiti, or on chalkboards.