leatherapprentice Report post Posted November 16, 2008 I've been working with some letter stamps (initials on wallets, etc) but I can't seem to get the spacing between the letters to look the same. Are there any tricks that can help get more even spaced looking lettering. Thanks in advance folks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tashabear Report post Posted November 16, 2008 I've been working with some letter stamps (initials on wallets, etc) but I can't seem to get the spacing between the letters to look the same. Are there any tricks that can help get more even spaced looking lettering.Thanks in advance folks. Leave the one stamp in place and line up the next one touching it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dags3777 Report post Posted November 16, 2008 I've been working with some letter stamps (initials on wallets, etc) but I can't seem to get the spacing between the letters to look the same. Are there any tricks that can help get more even spaced looking lettering.Thanks in advance folks. I put down a centre line, then disect it, with the size of the letter you are using, ie 1/2". Then use 1/2 of the letter size as spacing, ie 1/4". Then repeat. Darryl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatherapprentice Report post Posted November 16, 2008 Leave the one stamp in place and line up the next one touching it. I tried that yesterday with the initials "WKT" and the WK came out good but the T is right out to lunch. I've got the vertical spacing in hand, its more the horizontal spacing that is giving me the problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brandon Report post Posted November 17, 2008 I tried that yesterday with the initials "WKT" and the WK came out good but the T is right out to lunch. I've got the vertical spacing in hand, its more the horizontal spacing that is giving me the problem. Just a shot in the dark. Check on the edges of the stamps say the right of "K" and the left of "T", you may have to file those "extras" out should there be any. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hidepounder Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Letter stamps are great tools a certainly fill a need.........but unless your handcuffed and are absolutely required to use letter stamps, try finding a font you like on the computer, print out the letters in the persons name, etc., etc., and trace them onto your leather, then cut and bevel them! Nothing says "custom" or "professional" better than hand tooled letters! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted November 17, 2008 Second that, Bob. The letters can be kerned more naturally so they don't look like they were pressed out of a cookie cutter. And there is so much more greater variety of fonts and sizes to choose from. It's well worth the effort to hand carve your letters. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatherapprentice Report post Posted November 21, 2008 Second that, Bob. The letters can be kerned more naturally so they don't look like they were pressed out of a cookie cutter. And there is so much more greater variety of fonts and sizes to choose from. It's well worth the effort to hand carve your letters.Kate I agree completely but my knife skills aren't good enough for that yet (I'm practicing though) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pete Report post Posted November 21, 2008 It does take practice, but at LEAST try to do some beveling around the stamps. I've had to stamp a few times and with good, careful beveling and smooth matting you almost couldn't tell pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stelmackr Report post Posted November 21, 2008 The problem with individual leather stamps in not only the vertical alignment, but the kerning (horizontal positioning) of certain letters next to each other. If you use those Tandy Leather Factory stamps and position one stamp to the next, then it is just like typing a Microsoft letter in courier font, a non-proportional type. See this example: RawHide Gazette Whereas, using a proportional font, like Times New Roman you get a result like this: RawHide Gazette You can see that certain letters are "kerned", or moved closer to other letters. This kerning taken care of with the individual letters relative width and a kerning pairing indicated indicated in the font software. So, for me, I have chosen to experiment with letterpress lead type and perform the kerning with the letters. For example the lowercase "i" is extremely narrow, whereas the "m" is the largest with. Please see http://www.pslac.org/public/02_feb03.pdf for an example of letterpress type pressed (embossed) into leather. I use a bookpress, but a plain old wood vice would do the job. By using letterpress type I get professionally spaced text on leather. When I don't have the size or font I want, then I trace the letters printed out from a computer on the project and tool them. Bob Stelmack Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillB Report post Posted November 27, 2008 As Bob has mentioned above, I too have gone to using letterpress type. I now have 4 different font sets and will probably acquire a few more from ebay. I am using the lever press that Tandy sells and a custom built metal holder for the type. I just finished three portfolios for my grandkids where I used letterpress type to put their names on the front. Unfortunately, they are currently wrapped and I forgot to take pictures. Since they will be unwrapped tomorrow, I will have the pictures later this weekend. Letterpress type also gives the option for Upper and Lower case, which adds a nice touch to names. BillB. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Report post Posted November 27, 2008 Practice, practice, practice....do those three letters about 10-20 times on scrap leather, you'll be ready to give it a shot on your final piece....NOTHING gives that custom touch like hand cut and beveled lettering in a type face that is totally custom.... check out dafont.com for really custom lettering that is free. David Theobald Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spect Report post Posted November 9, 2018 (edited) BillB do you (or anyone else) have any details on the "custom holder" you use for holding and clamping the letterpress font for debossing into leather? I'm really struggling with that. I just got my first set of letterpress font. I used it tonight and definitely didn't conquer the learning curve... Lol. I practiced on some scrap, then attempted my work peice. I realized I either need 5 hands or I'm missing something. I was tapeing them together and trying to hold the taped together "stamp" with one hand and strike it with a soft hammer with my other... I ended up with my last name completely crooked across the front of my new wallet. The debossing imprint was decent but not perfect considering the crude method I used. I applied a little too much pressure but thats an easy fix for next time. I was looking online and found a type holder for a foil machine that "may" work. I think the machine was called a Kingsley. The font size I have is 18pt. And it mesures 1/4 inch. tall. Any tips or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Edited November 9, 2018 by Spect Typos.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernCross Report post Posted December 1, 2018 Where can you purchase letterpress font stsmps? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Studio-N Report post Posted December 2, 2018 On 11/30/2018 at 9:21 PM, SouthernCross said: Where can you purchase letterpress font stsmps? you can find many, many of them on ebay. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
