Vintage, Ornate Monogram Creation

[Jacob John]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I am beating my head against a wall looking for someone to create a full alphabet of vintage ornate monograms, or at least single ones for commercial use.

I've attempted to do this in Illustrator, but it's well beyond my skill set. I would love to learn it as well, but have no idea where to start. It looks like a very time intensive process.

Do any of you know someone that does this, or someone willing to teach? I would be forever grateful, as it would save my sanity. :D

I'm attaching an example. Thanks.

346595346596

[David Somers]

Hey Jacob!

I know I have seen any number of sources on the web for monograms where you could pick up individual letters or full alphabets. A search for monograms and monogram fonts should get you to those. I have no clue what they cost though.

If you want to do this yourself but your illustrator skills aren't up to it you might try drawing them by hand. A ruler, a triangle, and a set of french curves might help the process. Try drawing them out with an el cheapo mechanical pencil with a .5 lead in it and about a 2b hardness. Easily erased, you can draw lightly with it and get your letters drawn up in a draft form easily. From there, once you have a set you like, take a fine pen like a Pentel Hybrid Technica (amazon has them cheaply) in a .3mm size. Trace over your pencil sketch to get a final drawing. Then scan it and use as a bitmap, or run it through Autocad's or Corel Draw's Autotrace feature.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

There are several font houses that come to mind that already offer ornamental fonts. Aridi (http://www.aridi.com/), Letterhead Fonts (http://www.letterheadfonts.com), Wiescher Design (http://www.wiescher.de/)

[Jacob John]

Thanks so far for the recommendations. So far, I'm still not finding what I'm needing. I find these monogram books with thousands of different monograms, including single letter, interlocking doubles, etc., but the issues are all the same:

* No high res versions
*No full alphabets so the designs are all over the place

I think those 18th and 19th century monogram creators designed, let's say an interlocking A/H, and then moved on to something else. It's really strange.

It's frustrating because maybe it's just not out there on the net, and no graphic designer has tackled this yet.

I would look at calligraphers but then I have the same issue where it's a crisp, clean vector version of the image, but at least it would be an original creation. I used a light board and traced a few, and boy did that look like garbage.

Should I look at hiring a graphic designer? Seems like it could get expensive. Any suggestion for a graphic designer would be helpful as well.

Thanks again!

[Bill George]

//store.doverpublications.com/by-subject-clip-art.html

If Dover doesn't have it you don't need it! A lot of it is in digital format.

[John Lifer]

Here's one site that has one similar.....
http://www.fontbros.com/selectronic/art-deco-1910-1935.
the MFC Mercer collection
and this one
http://www.fontbros.com/families/mfc-laroux-initials

[Ruben Salcedo]

Jacob, Aridi have a collection of initials and alphabets, follow the link so you can see the initials collections,
there are several pages for you to see, just look at the bottom of the page for you to browse through them
by clicking on the forward arrows, hopefully, you can find something that you can use, perhaps with some editing?

http://www.aridi.com/index.php/products/3-general/info/67-initial-caps19?showall=&limitstart=


Ruben

[Glen Monaghan]

Not as ornate as the OP's examples, but this page:
http://www.fontbros.com/families/mfc-laroux-initials
has additional font choices under the "Add to Cart" button, and the first one underneath the orange "Monogram Fonts Company" box is MFC Baelon Monograms, which is designed to create (among others) 2 letter monograms similar to what the OP wants.

From the writeup:
The inspiration source for Baelon Monogram is an alphabet set from the book, Monograms and Alphabets for Combination by Dollfus Mieg & Cie, first published in the 1890s. What began as 26 referenced outline/shadowed letters became an over 800 character font in order to create its unique interwoven monogram effect!


Baelon Monogram can create one, two, or three letter monograms as well as a unique two letter intertwined monogram style - made by simply typing a lowercase immediately followed by a Capital (using OpenType Ligatures). Classic roman forms combine to make elegant monograms like designer branding, and you can also choose to type in all capitals or all lowercase for simple title and headlines as well. (Note that due to the manner in which combination monograms are formed, some letters like the I will change to script-like forms to avoid being hidden in overlaps).


Download and view the Baelon Monogram Guidebook if you would like to learn a little more.

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Quote: "I think those 18th and 19th century monogram creators designed, let's say an interlocking A/H, and then moved on to something else. It's really strange."

Actually I DON'T think it strange at all!
I've studied monograms for years, and love the variations on all the themes you can find.
It is terrific to pick a style you like the look of, and create a different letter in that style.
It's a worthwhile exercise, to get better at - with a pencil and paper- and perhaps a lightbox, or a window - work on it, improve it, work on it again...
the creative process will give you a new appreciation for what the old folks did when they invented them.

Over time, the ability to do this will be what sets you apart from the 'just copy or use an existing font,' system of so many others.

Draw it - or invent it - then figure out the overlapping or weaving of the legs and arms, then set about vectorising it if you wish. Time-consuming... but it gets easier with practice, and the skills gained are invaluable.

Have fun along the way!

[Jacob John]

Quote: "I think those 18th and 19th century monogram creators designed, let's say an interlocking A/H, and then moved on to something else. It's really strange."

Actually I DON'T think it strange at all!
I've studied monograms for years, and love the variations on all the themes you can find.
It is terrific to pick a style you like the look of, and create a different letter in that style.
It's a worthwhile exercise, to get better at - with a pencil and paper- and perhaps a lightbox, or a window - work on it, improve it, work on it again...
the creative process will give you a new appreciation for what the old folks did when they invented them.

Over time, the ability to do this will be what sets you apart from the 'just copy or use an existing font,' system of so many others.

Draw it - or invent it - then figure out the overlapping or weaving of the legs and arms, then set about vectorising it if you wish. Time-consuming... but it gets easier with practice, and the skills gained are invaluable.

Have fun along the way!

I would love to do this, but I am horrible at it and would rather pay someone. :D And let me say, I can't find anyone doing vector conversion of monograms.

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Quote: "And let me say, I can't find anyone doing vector conversion of monograms."

Seriously, did you really expect to?
There are going to be thousands of permutations of 2 letter interwoven monograms, depending on typestyle choices, and the order of the initials.
There IS a rule in monogram design - the most obvious or biggest letter is that of the surname. The 2nd most obvious letter is the initial of the first name.
If there's a 3rd letter in the monogram, and it's a 2nd initial, then that'll be the most subdued or subservient of the three.
After that it it works the same way in priority - or else left to right, top to bottom, foreground to background.

Design one, and IF you have to have it as a vector, then vectorise it.

However if tyou have a laser, you whould be able to engrave it as a raster file.

If you want an outline and a full-depth cut, then it's easy enough to vectorise an offset outline, by hand. (assuming you don;t know how to fine tune the suto-trace options in Corel Draw, for instance, though often enough a hand-vectorised outline is going to be better.
IF you're not capable, then start practicing - it's worth it, if you're trying to deal in a business whose key principle is based on vector cutting.

What is the one monogram you are wanting - what initials? And what sort of typestyle?