About Lettering Guy

A Specialist in hand lettering and custom typography

Lettering Guy’s love for hand lettering began when he noticed the unique handwriting of others. When he came across a particularly interesting letter, he tried to figure out how it was made.

A Letraset catalog of type had a big impact on Lettering Guy’s lettering style. The typefaces he found in the catalog motivated him to design lettering for signs for his parent’s ice cream shop.

When Lettering Guy first started out, he worked in a commercial sign shop where he learned to cut, prepare, and install vinyl letters. Later, he managed a sign shop in San Francisco, where he made signs, banners, and graphics for furniture trade shows.

After getting his degree in graphic design, Lettering Guy got a full-time job as a production designer for American Greetings in Ohio. 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 at American Greetings. During his time at American Greetings, 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.

Q&A with Lettering Guy

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 and 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.