LSG Christmas Cards - One Technique Three Cards
Magazine Christmas Tree with Lindy's Stamp Gang

FAKE IT: Beautiful Lettering for Journals, Cards or Scrapbooks

Today I'm going to let you in on a little secret (just don't tell anyone!) My lettering isn't always what I'd like it to be, so I CHEAT.  What?  Shocking I know!!!   In an effort to help all those other typography challenged people out there, I'm going to share my secret formula for creating beautiful lettering on your cards, journals or scrapbook pages.

Copic Typography Christmas-16

Two reliable ways to CHEAT when it comes to lettering:

  1. Use Word (or similar program) to create desired lettering, choose a outline only font, print this in very light grey using a laser printer.  You can trace straight over this printed word with Copics and if you are neat, no one will ever know you didn't write this yourself! 
    NB: test your printer ink to make sure it is Copic safe before trying this, all laser printers are Copic Safe, only some ink jet printers have Copic safe ink.  For information on how to test your ink read this post.
  2. You learned this second method in Elementary/Primary School.  Print the word onto paper, flip the paper over and scribble on the back very heavily in soft lead pencil (eg: 2B), turn the paper back over place it over your project and then trace over the word - this transfers the carbon/graphite from the pencil creating a copy onto your card or page. 
    NB: Only one thing you need to know here, tracing over pencil with Copic makes the pencil permanent - you can't rub it out later!  So this works best if outlining with black or dark coloured Copics that will hide the pencil lines.

 

I used the pencil trace method for the lettering on this project asI knew I would be using black, which would hide the pencil lines. 

Copic Oz - Hope Doodled Heart-14

For today's project I will be printing directly onto my X-Press It Blending card and tracing over the printed text.

Copic Typography Christmas-1
 

What I Used:

  • Copic Multi Liners: 0.3 Black, Turquoise, Pink, BS Cool Gray (Brush Tip)
    Copic Marker: RV09, BG32 & BG49
  • AtYou Spica: Turquoise & Pink
  • XPress It Blending Card
  • Font - Victorian LET
  • Crystal Glitter
  • Assorted Ribbon
  • Core'dinations Cardstock

 

What I Did:

Begin by tracing over your printed outline with a black Copic Multi Liner - I used 0.3

Copic Typography Christmas-2

Using your favourite coloured Copic Multi Liners add a little doodling, I started with Turquoise.
Copic Typography Christmas-2

Then add a little pink, leaving quite a bit of white space.

Copic Typography Christmas-2

Swap to some of those yummy sparkly Spica pens and add a little more doodling.
Copic Typography Christmas-2

Finish by adding simple dots to fill the remaining white space - don't make all of your marks doodles, keep some marks simple so your design doesn't look too busy.

Copic Typography Christmas-6

To make your design pop off the page,  edge your letters using a cool grey - I used the Copic Brush Tip Multi Liner for this as it has a wonderful precision tip.
Copic Typography Christmas-6

To complete my card I needed some ribbon, sadly I didn't have a colour to match the Turquoise, so Copics to the rescue!  I coloured some white ric-rac with my Copic Marker BG32.
Copic Typography Christmas-6

I had the same problem with the glitter on my tree, so once again I used my Copic Markers in RV09 & BG49 to recolour the glitter elements on my embellishment.
Copic Typography Christmas-11
When you put it all together the finished Christmas card looks like this.
Copic Typography Christmas-12
 
I hope this post has given you a few ideas about how you could incorporate Copics into your Christmas cards and create beautiful lettering on your Copic projects!
 

Signature

Comments