Plate Lettering

[Jon Page]

Felt tip markers do not work well in the long run, they fade and 
shrink in from the edges.

I have been using a fluid writing pen:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz649/11/

with water-based black acrylic paint, thin size for outline, thick for fill-in.

Gild the plate and spray clear finish coat, touching the plate will 
cause oxidation
down the line. It is not advisable to apply a lacquer topcoat over water based
products, they are not compatible. It might lift them off or cause 
them to crackle,
been there, done that.

Applying to clear coat, the water based material can be wiped off if 
a mistake is made
without compromising the gilded surface. I used to use black lacquer 
and there was no
such thing as a small mistake. The gloss black acrylic does not need 
a top coat.

Application is a bit pains-taking for a primo job. Outline first. 
Apply the left edge on all characters and the top. Go back and do the 
right edge and the bottom. Go back and fill in.
If you try to do the entire character all at once it can pool too 
thick and run. A neater, faster job is accomplished with outlining 
first. Heck, if you have a real steady hand you can leave
the treble logo on S&S's as outline characters just as original.  I can't :-(

These fluid writing pens produce sharp, clean characters, better than a brush;
especially for us untrained calligraphers.
-- 

Regards,

Jon Page