tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post2637151311916772933..comments2024-03-19T07:54:49.735-05:00Comments on Specific thoughts...: Worst case!Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799057838622646083noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-14659271289272522222013-11-20T11:34:58.952-06:002013-11-20T11:34:58.952-06:00Thanks for the comments. They reminded me of an of...Thanks for the comments. They reminded me of an office I worked at many years ago. Specifications had little white space and small margins. After being printed on large paper (11 by 17, perhaps) they were photographically reduced to 8-1/2 by 11. The font was probably 6 point, and the pages looked like blocks of gray. Of course, some of the important parts were in uppercase!Sheldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799057838622646083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-89787739297211482112013-11-20T11:02:32.568-06:002013-11-20T11:02:32.568-06:00Great article! In the late 60s I got a co-op job (...Great article! In the late 60s I got a co-op job (I went to the Univ of Cinti) at a firm in Cincinnati that used slanted mixed-case lettering for drawing notes (remember the 68-deg slope on the tool for lettering guidelines?). It was explained to me that the reason was the notes took up less space that way. The firm used only 24 x 36 sheets, so space was indeed a consideration.<br /><br />I also remember some graduates from 5-year non-coop schools who had never worked even a single summer in an architectural firm being almost in tears when told on their first day at work to cover a 30 x 42 sheet with practice lettering. The guys (gal architects very rare in those days!) who couldn’t letter were assigned to field work for construction administration. I also knew guys who were let go because they couldn’t letter well.<br /><br />I did calligraphy as a hobby, so I didn’t have any problems. <br /><br />In the early 70s I worked for an E/A firm in Cincy owned by a lawyer [it had been started by his dad, an engineer]. They had had some sort of claim relating to capitalization or lack thereof in the specs, so his solution was that specs were printed in all upper case—very difficult to read. A short-sighted Pharisaical solution, but he didn’t have to read the specs!Louis Medcalfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-76071578567726943222013-11-19T16:34:51.653-06:002013-11-19T16:34:51.653-06:00All lowercase as in no sentence capitalization, no...All lowercase as in no sentence capitalization, no proper name capitalization, no uppercase abbreviations? All uppercase sucks, but all lowercase suffers some of the same problems. At least your art director isn't asking you to use script - I hope! Sheldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799057838622646083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-35151906808661519602013-11-19T15:17:45.551-06:002013-11-19T15:17:45.551-06:00I have an art director that wants to use all lower...I have an art director that wants to use all lower case. It is ok in headlines, but as bad as all caps in body copy.Michael Chusidhttp://www.chusid.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-19872984201352123172013-11-18T01:38:23.612-06:002013-11-18T01:38:23.612-06:00Thanks, Steve; have you received any feedback from...Thanks, Steve; have you received any feedback from contractors or suppliers? <br /><br />I haven't hand lettered since becoming a specifier more than twenty-five years ago. As you might expect, my writing has become sloppy; I wish I had stayed in practice! Sheldonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799057838622646083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-76921464158227933042013-11-17T12:21:51.244-06:002013-11-17T12:21:51.244-06:00After opening my own office in 2004, I started rev...After opening my own office in 2004, I started reviewing the established conventions to begin defining the "office standards". Stationary, drawings, memos, web-site, transmittals, the gambit. As an example I wanted the Title Block to tie into my Stationary but this quickly led to understanding the communication within a drawing. Information on a Construction Drawing is important (otherwise why make the effort) but not all is equal, hence I diverted to upper and lower case lettering. It was the 00's, why stay in the 80's and 90's. The end result in my mind was a easier to understand set of drawings and a more cohesive package. All caps on a set of drawings look so antiquated to me now. Time to realize we do not hand letter anymore.Steve Cofernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5079489537362129861.post-41372924350784609942013-11-14T10:50:53.181-06:002013-11-14T10:50:53.181-06:00Very interesting!Very interesting!nick_weilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01025691781192320905noreply@blogger.com