About Lettering Guy

Designer of personally expressive hand lettering and custom typography

In Ohio after earning a degree in art history Lettering Guy returned to his hometown. Lettering Guy designed and lettered signs for his parent’s ice cream shop. He based his hand lettering on typefaces from a Letraset catalog.

He moved to California where he worked in a commercial sign shop. He learned to cut, prepare, and install vinyl letters for commercial property owners and developers. Later, he managed a sign shop in San Francisco, where he made signs, banners, and graphics for a captive customer base of furniture manufacturers.

When he returned to Ohio Lettering Guy earned another college degree this time in graphic design. He was hired as full-time job as a production designer for American Greetings, a greeting card company. A mentor helped him develop his lettering skills by teaching him how to use a brush and pen. He transitioned to the lettering design team. He created a signature lettering style that was developed into a typeface.

In 2008, Lettering Guy started working as a freelance lettering artist for American Greetings and other greeting card companies. In 2012, he started a blog called LetteringGuy where he interviewed famous and new lettering artists.

Today, Lettering Guy continues to practice and express his lettering style in his own unique way.

Read this article about Lettering Guy’s journey through hand lettering.

Lettering Guy FAQs

How did you become a lettering artist?

My interest in lettering comes from seeing and observing the work of sign painters. For a few years I ran a sign shop where I cut and installed vinyl letters and window graphics. I joined a lettering team at a greeting card company where I learned to hand letter with brushes and pens. Later I was a freelance lettering artist for a variety of greeting card companies. My advice for you is to practice. Research work of prominent lettering artists. Be persistent in your practice but be kind to yourself.

What would be your dream project or job?

To create lettering and illustrations for a book of motivational quotes.

What are my favorite letters to draw?

I like drawing capital B, D, and S. Their proportions can be exaggerated and decorated with flourishes.

What are my favorite tools for hand lettering?

My favorite tools are use pointed pens and ink, monoline pens and Apple Pencil.

What is my favorite quote?

One of my favorite quotes is “Freedom lies in being bold” attributed to Robert Frost.

Tell us something about you that might surprise or delight us.

I draw and post portraits of inventors, influencers and anyone who impacted my life and the lives of so many people. You can see them at alexsavakis.com.