Like Norman, my dovetails are tails first. My last few sets have used a wood strait edge clamped to the base line to line it up for marking the pin board. After doing this a few times it has become fairly easy.
Recently a Youtube video of Rob Cossman mentioned his tip for piston fit drawers by making the front and the back pin boards a bit wide so it could be trimmed to fit. That was given a shot on my last project, Filed But Not Forgotten:
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?274913
The drawer seems to slide nice without side to side binding. Besides the dovetails look nice:
File Drawer Dovetails.jpg
After many years of functional but sloppy dovetails mine have improved from practice and diligence in figuring out what was needed to get better.
One of the tips that helped on the half blind dovetails was from Derek Cohen about using a clamp on the pin board to prevent splitting if a tool or piece of metal is used to extend saw cuts to full depth on the half blinds. It may have also been one of his tips to make a saw cut in the middle of the waste to help remove the waste.
What was learned beyond that is to use a solid clamp like a C-clamp instead of a springy clamp like a quick clamp with rubber pads. Small hardwood pads can be used to prevent marking the work. What one doesn't want is any way for the wood to flex and start a clamp. This doesn't seem to be as much of a problem with soft woods.
Even though my dovetails are "good enough," that doesn't stop me from reading or watching what others have to offer. Every little bit, piece or tip on the mysteries of dovetail is worth a bit of my time if there is a possibility of improving my work.
jtk