I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Lettering is everywhere.

This writing is far from a scholarly one, but I feel that it’s important to raise the question. I give to you that we see what is appealing to us, but I don’t think this is an exaggeration – hand lettering is everywhere. I see it online and offline, where I live, in a wide spectrum of quality and applications.

It’s very understandable, of course. People tend to find ways to connect whatever’s trending to their own product to attract customers. (Remember the Pokemon Go fever?) Sometimes even brands that – I’m gonna say it – have no business using a hand lettering font, use it on their promotional materials. On the other hand, brands that do have some kind of correlation with the ‘hand lettered’ look gathers freely from internet sources and plasters it in heaps.

If you have a product that you want to sell, and are considering to utilise hand lettering somewhere in your promotion right now, I’m gonna ask you why. I will question whether you have a good reasoning or just acting on whim. If you lean on the latter, I hope you ask yourself how it helps your product. Hand lettering could be precious as a tool, if used correctly.

Can this be the age of hand lettering – its influence so vast that its upcoming downfall awaits?

Just like ornamental printing, can this be the age of hand lettering – its influence so vast that its upcoming downfall awaits? Perhaps. Though, I am a believer of the problem solving properties of design and, as its element – used in the right places – I believe that hand lettering will continue to be helpful. As a trend, yes, it might lose its novelty in the future. Like all trends, it will make a comeback. However, only lettering that’s created either purely for its creator’s joy, or designed well for a purpose can’t become overused.

S.