What is good typography? We can all spot good design in a telephone, car or clothing: You know quality when you see it. It’s the same for personalized stationery. It’s easy to see, but hard to pull off. Modern typography follows a long heritage — back to typesetters who used to place small blocks with letters on them into a printing press. They used rules that are still alive today. So it’s good to know your typesetting terms, so you can know good personalized stationery when you see it.

Our professional designers spend a lot of time getting the look and spacing perfect for each and every letter in all of our exclusive fonts. A name or monogram should have good spacing between the letters, and the style of individual letters should relate to one another. Shop with care: other companies don’t always pay attention to these important rules.

Here is a glossary of typesetting terms to help you understand the ins and outs of good design on personalized stationery.

Vocabulary about Letters

Here are some typesetting terms that related to the shapes of the letters.

Upper Case – A letter that we learned in school as a “capital letter.” Fun fact: Employees in old printshops kept these letters in the upper drawers of their cabinets…hence the name “upper.” We use upper case letters for proper names and the beginnings of sentences.

Lower Case — The small letters we use for most words in a sentence and for names. Often, we use upper case letters in monograms, but not always. Our Elise monogram uses lower case letters. Sometimes it’s fun to break the rules, as in this fun new font on our Luna Card, which features all lower case letters and no upper case ones.

Serif – A tiny embellished notch that appears at the tip of the stroke of a letter. Many serif fonts have a traditional or classic feel. They can also, but not always, feel more formal. Fonts with a serif tend to be easier to read. It’s thought that the little hooks on the ends of the letters help your eye track more quickly from one letter to the next. The font used in this blog is a serif font.

Sans Serif Lettering – A more modern-looking style of lettering that tends to be more plain, clean or simple. One of our most popular sans serif lettering styles is here on our One-Line Note. It has a “Mad Men” feel to it, doesn’t it?

Roman Lettering – A kind of alphabet that features small, decorative serifs at the tips of each letter. The Magnolia Note has a roman lettering style.

Handdrawn Lettering — Some lettering styles mimic handwriting or printing. Our Anthony lettering style is one of these, which is shown below on our Anthony Studio Card. We often have developed lettering styles from real people’s handwriting that we admire. Read this blog about the development of our Sally Script font.

Vocabulary about Spacing

Here are some typesetting terms that related to the spaces between and around letters, words and lines of texts.

Kerning – The distance between letters inside of a word. When letters inside a word touch each other, we describe the kerning as “too tight.” When there is so much space between letters that the words are difficult to distinguish from one another, we say the kerning is “too loose.” We pay enormous attention to the kerning when letters are combined in a name or monogram, as you can see in the photo below. It’s our Circle Monogram on our Henley Grand Monogram Note.

Leading — Pronounced “ledding,” this is the blank space between lines of type. Wedding invitations usually have “open” or “expanded” leading, while the text in books usually has a “tight” (compressed) leading.

Flush Left – The alignment of the left side of all paragraphs is a straight line as you look down the page, such as this one. This is typical for many publications.

Flush Right – The alignment of the text down the right side is a straight line. This paragraph is flush right. It’s a little unusual, and so it catches your eye. Some of our products that use flush right are X and X.

Ragged Left and Ragged Right — “Ragged” means that the beginning or ending of a line-of-type does not line up vertically with the other lines of type. When you format text to be flush left or flush right, the opposite side of the paragraph will be ragged. Most paragraphs on this page flush left and ragged right. But oftentimes, wedding and other formal invitations feature text that is ragged left and right, like this paragraph is. We also call this type of text “centered.” You can see this on our Yorkshire Invitation Card.

Of course, you can depend on all products by Gifts In 24 to feature excellent typographical design. Check out our monogrammed products. Or look at our best-selling folded notes.

Looking for something different to use at your next event or give as a meaningful gift? Monogrammed items are personalized just for you or your recipient — unlike generic items you can purchase from the store. Monogrammed gifts and decor are a great way to personalize your life and wow your friends. To get something creative and different, use our Personal Style Tool. Our process for choosing the right monogram design will help you pick out the perfect item with confidence.

Choosing a Monogram to Personalize Your Projects

You can make unique projects by adding initials in a stylish way. A monogrammed item is created by you, but a special monogram generator will help you create your ideal mark with ease. You don’t have to be familiar with design or typography to use a monogram generator and order your personalized items.

Just about everything you wear, display, use or decorate with can have a personalized mark. Monograms are the perfect way to set apart your parties, wedding, gifts and more. From etched glass coasters to napkins and bamboo cutting boards, there are tons of ways to personalize your life.

The Gift of a Monogram

Finding the right gift can be tricky. You want something that is different, but still useful and beautiful. Monogramed items are the kind of gifts that carry memories and meaning. A boss who receives a monogrammed mug for his desk will appreciate the gift as classy and professional. A bride who gets monogrammed guest towels for the bathroom or coasters for the home will see the gift as a special token of her big day. Monogrammed gifts that are given to family members can carry the weight that comes with the family tie of sharing a last name. Items that are monogrammed unquestionably belong to the recipient, which means they were carefully chosen and ordered, not selected generically.

The Right Style for the Product

Not all products are the same or have identical shapes for holding your monogram. Monograms on round coasters are probably going to look different than at the top of personalized stationery. To start in choosing the right monogram, you need to pick the item you want to mark. You may not have the space to do three letters and just prefer one. On business-focused items, you might have the letters evenly sized instead of the center letter being larger.

Consider what kind of style will work best on that item — fonts and layouts of the monogram can make the whole project look modern, chic, classic, flowery and more. Those styles will change how someone interprets the gift or how an event is perceived. A fancy wedding script might be perfect for reception table runners, but it wouldn’t look right in the clean lines of a modern office. You want the monogram to fit the product perfectly for the person or space for whom or which it is being designed.

Knowing how you want the result to turn out and what product you are planning to get it on is the first step to creating a great monogram. Once you’ve determined the shape and style of the monogram you are going to create, the next step is to look at lettering styles.

Selecting a Unique Font for Your Monogram Design

Monogram fonts can be plain or intricate. A font that is generic will look like something that could be made in Word on your computer and printed. Some fonts are not well-made and don’t create elegant design elements. At Giftsin24, we offer specialized fonts in our design generator so that even the non-designer can create a professional-grade product.

The right monogram font will enhance your design and convey the style you determined was best for the product you are marking. A font should easily fit into the space designated for the monogram without looking cramped or stretched. The monogram letters should flow into a design element but remain easy to read.

We’ve chosen great fonts specifically for monograms that you can’t find anywhere else to give your gifts a one-of-a-kind look. We make sure those fonts are well-suited to monograms by choosing a wide variety of styles in fonts that have good spacing, balance and are readable.

Initial Etiquette for Monograms

The last name initial is always the largest in the center if you are doing the traditional trio of letters. You can use initials for individuals or couples in a monogram.

• For a married couple: The woman’s first initial is first, then the last name initial. The man’s initial is on the right.
• For a woman: Typically, her last initial is in the center with her first initial on the left and her middle initial on the right. However, if she is married, she can use her maiden initial on the right instead of the middle name initial.
• For a child: Monograms are perfect because they don’t give too much information in public. While the use of a first name might allow a stranger to act familiar with a child, a monogram personalizes the item to make it special and easily identifiable. A child’s monogram will follow the first, last middle initial format.

If the initials of your mark are the same size (instead of the traditional monogram with a larger letter in the middle), then the initials are in a first, middle, last name order. This often happens on shirt pockets, briefcases and luggage — among other items where lettering may be kept more straightforward and less decorative. When you’ve determined the shape and style, creating the monogram is simple.

Monograms Made Easy

Creating a unique monogram doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming. Our special tool for generating your monogram makes the process incredibly easy. Rather than paying a designer or struggling with the process yourself, you can choose a product and use the monogram generator tool to finish the personalization process. For each of the items on our website, you can enter your information and choose the lettering style. An immediate preview will show you exactly how the monogram will appear on the product, so you don’t have to guess if a specific style will look good in the space or fit correctly.

Finishing With Finesse

When ordering, certain products can be finished specially to give them an even more unique edge. You can use embossing or raised ink for a classy look that visually pops from the page. Your monogram design can be engraved on wood or etched into glass for a lasting, classy mark.

Now that you’ve completed the design process, you can proudly show off your monogrammed items within days of ordering them. At Giftsin24, we pride ourselves on carefully creating and quickly shipping your items. We know you trust us with your gifts and specialty items, expecting each piece to be crafted with care. We have a great customer service team that is backed by a production team built over decades. So, what are you going to personalize?

This is the time of year when our thoughts turn to spring. Whether you are in the deep freeze up north, or beginning to see the trees budding out in the south, right about now, everyone’s had about enough of winter. So, naturally, we here at Giftsin24 think about new stationery designs and patterns, in anticipation of all the excitement soon to unfold outdoors. Here is some of our new stationery for spring in your choice of vivid raised-ink colors.

Blossom Note has been given a new, colorful treatment just in time for Spring

A Breath of Fresh Spring Air

These new designs have personalities all their own.  You’ll see that we’ve added new twists to some favorites and have created beautiful new lettering styles for completely new looks in others. And we’ve given them wonderful names, some of which are exotic and fun. They are all printed in your choice of raised-ink color. Whether you choose bright and sassy –think fuchsia, emerald green, ocean blue, red or purple — metallic — think silver or gold — or traditional and true — black, mocha, navy or slate — this stationery will bring you a breath of fresh spring air.

Classic Frame Monogram Note features our beautifully embossed frames with a precision-printed raised ink monogram.

Classic Frame Monogram Note – Raised Ink. We’ve given our Classic Frame Monogram note a re-fresh for 2018.  We’ve combined our traditional embossed frame with a raised-ink monogram. This folded note is perfect for peole who are a little bit traditional AND a little bit daring. Enjoy a choice of ink color and paper color as well as 5 monograms: Classic, Circle, Whitlock, Sydney, or Diamond.

Spring Blossoms Note – Raised Ink   A cheerful spray of cherry blossoms gives this folded note a happy vibe. Choose a lettering style and ink color, and we will print your name in vivid raised ink over a lighter version of the same color. Add coordinating hand-inserted envelope linings to boost the happiness factor.

Magnolia Note features a screened back, large initial with your name transposed over it.

Magnolia Note.   This handsome notecard offers many ways to create stationery that reflects your personal style. The Magnolia Note offers a choice of lettering style with one line of raised-ink personalization, plus an initial printed in a lighter shade of the same raise ink color selection.

Cristobal Monogram Card offers several new lettering styles for your monogram in the lower right corner.

Cristobal Card.  Amp up your correspondence with the Cristobal Card, offering five masculine lettering styles that imply refinement and strength. Your monogram, printed in your choice of ink and paper color, appears in the lower right. Add an optional colored border to highlight your message.

Moderno Monogram Note features a brand new lettering style in raised ink.

Moderno Monogram Note.   With its clean lines and Mid-Century feel, the Moderno Monogram Note imparts a sophisticated impression. This folded note offers a choice of ink and paper color. Add an optional coordinating lining paper to up the wow-factor.

Let’s Hear From You

What do you think of our new stationery? We’d love to hear from you! Tell us your favorite design or lettering style.

In addition to these five new stationery sets, we’ve also created a number of new party napkin and guest towel designs. See these and other new products in our New Selections area of our website. As some of these lettering styles become more popular, expect to see them on our engraved gifts and personalized notepads.

“A WOMAN is known by the stationery she uses. Paper talks. We read between the lines, along the margin, and across the envelope, the story of good or bad taste which speaks in tone, texture and design.” So opens A Desk Book on the Etiquette of Social Stationery published in 1910 and written by Jean Wilde Clark. What was true then, with a slight tweak, is still true today. Our stationery can speak worlds about us. What’s changed? “The Rules,” or stationery etiquette, are more relaxed: we no longer must use black-bordered mourning stationery after a loved one’s death, for example. In addition, we can all agree that men have just as much of a need for stationery, and that their stationery choices speak for them too.

What’s more, in this age of fast fashion, speed-of-light communication across the globe, what’s “In Style” changes on a dime. And that makes us lucky: there’s no need to cram our taste into rigid expectations of what’s proper or even what’s in style. Sure, white or ivory paper will always be correct. But if you want to use red pepper, who will care? Citrus paper? Be my guest. The fabulous Jackie O used robin’s egg blue paper. If she could do that in the 1960s, the sky is the limit for us in the late 2010s.

On the one hand, the lack of stylistic expectations is liberating, because it means we have the freedom to choose whatever stationery suits us. On the other hand, it can be slightly intimidating, because we’ve got almost unlimited choices.

Let it be your style.

There’s one rule to follow in 2017/2018: You be you. Don’t worry about what a friend is doing, or what you saw in a magazine.

Not sure what you like? Look at the furnishings in your home and the clothes you wear.

Do you tend toward traditional (try a 3-letter monogram), primitive country (try a quirky or hand-lettered font), or contemporary (try your name in block letters)?

Like neat, clean surfaces (look for simple lettering) or do you like to cram every nook and cranny with beloved objects (look for curvy, embellished designs)?

Do you like to follow the rules (center the personalization at the top) or do you like to push them (personalization goes in a corner or at the bottom)?

What colors do you like to surround yourself with? Pastels? Metallics? Jewel Tones? Neutrals?

Take advantage of the preview function when considering lettering styles for your name. Scrutinize the way your initials look – perhaps you like one font’s S better than another?

These are great clues to help you pull together your stationery style. In the end, whatever you choose will be perfect, because you chose it.

Business or personal?

When you’re writing a note to your pastor, the school principal, or your favorite author, you might want to consider a more formal letter sheet or correspondence card that tends toward business-like. Perhaps it’s embossed. Perhaps it’s on white paper with gray ink. Or ivory paper with coffee ink. This stationery might include your middle initial and the formal version of your first name.

It will work equally well for when you’re sending a gift to your best friend, writing to your brother, or thanking your neighbor for her homemade scones. Or, for those more personal uses, you could purchase a second set that reveals your more relaxed side. Any form — letter sheet, flat card or folded note — will do. Perhaps there is a small illustration, or your nickname, rather than your given name. You might use colored paper with black or metallic ink or a more brightly colored ink on ivory paper.

Raised ink vs. embossing?

It’s really a matter of choice. Raised-ink printing, or thermography, is a more affordable version of engraving. Engraving, a centuries-old printing method, requires the creation of dies, which are expensive to produce and reside at the stationery company until you require more stationery. Raised-ink printing conveys a pleasing texture and a shimmery quality to the ink.

Embossing lends an even more delicious texture because the paper is pressed from below. In that sense embossing resembles traditional engraving, as well. Especially on white or ivory paper, embossing tends to be more formal. It also tends to be more earth-friendly, because the paper recycles easily.

So to recap, choosing stationery can be an enjoyable and fulfilling exercise. Taking time to think about your style and consider your options will reward you each time you sit down to write. See all of our personalized  correspondence cards and folded notes. Happy choosing!

Giftsin24.com offers dozens of lettering styles and monograms. We pride ourselves on offering you lots of choices to find that perfect typeface that matches your personality. We offer different lettering style choices on different products. When you’ve found a favorite lettering style, you can now more easily and quickly find products that offer it with our new Personal Style Tool.

Within just a few seconds, you can see at least 50 personalized items, choose one, and order it. It’s never been easier to create a personalized gift on our website.

Using Our Personal Style Tool

From the home page, simply enter your name or monogram, and we’ll show your moniker in 10 of our most popular lettering styles.

The Personal Style Tool looks like this:

Like a lettering style? Click on it and we’ll show you products that offer this particular lettering style. These items range from notes and cards to napkins and notepads, to coasters and glassware, to picture frames and cutting boards and so much more!

Your personalization will look fabulous on any of these products. Click on one you like to learn more about it. Just click the “Order Now” button on the bottom left side to see your personalization in your chosen lettering style on this product. In some cases, we can’t show you the entire product, but you can get a good idea.

If, you’re not sure this product is for you, you can go back to product results page. Or, try a new lettering style.

If you’d like to move forward with this particular product, just make a few quick choices, such as ink color, if applicable. We’ll create this item just for you in one business day. Remember, ground shipping is always free. 😊

It’s super easy, so try it right now at https://www.giftsin24.com/

Classic Monogram features script letters that overlap.

In the previous three blog posts, we’ve explored many aspects of the Monogram, including its ancient history, its Victorian popularity and its definition. Today, we talk about the modern monogram, its meaning and uses. What does the monogram say about ourselves and our culture? Why do we use it?

Monogram as brand

In modern American culture, one of the most prominent uses of the monogram is to mark the corporate brand. Companies spend millions of dollars designing and promoting their company names. They often reach for the monogram to create a compelling identity marker in the public sphere. Think: Louis Vuitton (LV) and Coco Chanel (CC), General Electric (GE), CNN, HP, NBA, and on and on. Many of these brands are household names. We consumers instantly identify companies by two or three letters and their unique typographical or design treatments. That’s a monogram at its most powerful. Corporations wield monograms like royalty of yore, using it as a mark of trust, authenticity and quality.

Monogram as indulgence

One of the most powerful historical meanings of the monogram that still persists today is a mark of royalty and celebrity. When we monogram our sheets or a wine glass, we think of ourselves as indulging in a taste of luxury. Monograms are a treat, especially when they are embossed in beautiful paper or engraved into a beautiful wood picture frame or embroidered on a gorgeous piece of linen. When we can afford to, we reach for this small sign of sophistication and good taste. When we decide to purchase personalized stationery rather than plain, we are taking that step to rise out of the mundane. We want to feel special and unique.

Modern monogram as touchstone

Lovely monograms engraved on glass coasters.

Finally, in our modern day culture that is digitized, easily duplicated, complicated and busy, we crave touchstones to simpler times. In this way, monograms have a conversation with the past, as well as the present. Social media reproduces a million copies in an instant. But a monogram is a mark of hand-crafted tradition. Typographical experts create a monogram. And craftspeople apply it. We emboss and embroider it. We engrave it.

In defiance of email or texting, we send a monogrammed note to thank our friends and family. We beat back the impersonal forces in our lives when we lay our heads on the embroidered pillow cases our Great Aunt Margie made for her wedding trousseau. We replicate that hand-made, bespoke quality when we give a new bride and groom a monogrammed, engraved set of wine glasses.

With so many lovely designs and practical uses, the modern monogram is here to stay.

Explore our monogrammed products.

In two previous blogs, we talked about the ancient history of monograms that traces all the way back to the Greeks, as well as the Victorian mania for monograms that had people putting their monograms on everything from their tablecloths to their bloomers. Today, we’ll be taking a step back and asking: what is a monogram? Be prepared to learn some things to pull out at your next cocktail party conversation.

If you ask your friends what a monogram is, they might say that it’s a series of three letters representing your name.

That’s all well and good, but, actually, the common dictionary definition of a monogram does not include a specific number of letters. Merriam-Webster Dictionary says a monogram is “a sign of identity usually formed of the combined initials of a name.”

The word “monogram” derives from two Greek words: mono, meaning single, and gram, meaning letter. It means that letters were combined into one sign or symbol.

So in contemporary, popular culture, the idea of a monogram is actually not well-defined. Can it have two letters? Five letters? Do the letters connect or can they float freely? How are they arranged: sideways or up-and-down? Are letters block or script? In today’s world, we don’t seem to sweat the details; all seem acceptable.

In the Victorian Age (1837-1901), people thought that sometimes the letters of a monogram should connect and intertwine, even if that meant you couldn’t actually read the letters. At other times, legibility was important.

The Sienna Monogram Note features a flowing, elegant monogram where letters overlap and interlace, and are almost difficult to read.

Here’s J.O. Kane, the editor of An Encyclopedia of Monograms, writing in 1884: “For some uses, the intention of the device should be conspicuous and obvious, and its component letters readily distinguishable at first sight. In other cases, it is more tasteful and appropriate, by superimposing or interlacing the letters, or other means, to slightly veil, as it were, the meaning of the composition, and to aim at a certain ornamental construction whose component parts shall be less distinct and obvious to the eye.”

Cipher Vs. Monogram?

If you are the type of person who likes rules, a modern monogram scholar, Nancy Sharon Collins, author of The Complete Engraver, introduces the term “cipher” to help to clarify the situation – perhaps.

Cipher?

Monogram?

“A cipher,” she writes, “is any arrangement of two or more initials. The letters do not have to connect.”

“The letters of a monogram on the other hand,” writes Collins, “share essential strokes and curves. Monograms do not have to be legible, whereas ciphers typically are.”

Let’s note that we usually associate the word “cipher” with the idea of a code or something you have to interpret. For this reason, we aren’t sure that the term cipher helps clear things up. The meaning fights its colloquial use and may muddy the waters more: Ciphers – free-standing letters – are actually easier to read than monograms – highly interconnected letters that can be hard to read.

Types of Monograms

If we look at the designs offered here at giftsin24.com, we see a variety of styles, both “ciphers” and “monograms.” We label all these marks “monograms” on our website.

We have block letters that don’t touch. These, Collins would say, are ciphers.

Circle Monogram features block letters that don’t touch. It’s a more modern look and feel.

We have two-letter monograms, such as Dorset. The strokes overlap. It’s hard to tell one letter from another. For these reasons, Dorset might fall into the category of a true monogram, even though it’s only two letters.

Dorset two-letter monogram includes letters that overlap and are more difficult to read. Here is a T and an H.

And, giftsin24 also features three-letter monograms where letters thread through one another.

Classic Monogram features script letters that overlap in a more traditional feel.

So there, you have it…some food for thought about the exciting world of monograms. Are you ready for your next cocktail party? Tune in next time when we explore the modern uses and meanings of monograms.

Sources:

Nancy Sharon Collins. The Complete Engraver: Monograms, Crests, Ciphers, Seals, and the Etiquette of Social Stationery. Princeton Architectural Press, 2012. 

J. O’Kane. An Encyclopedia of Monograms. Originally published in 1884. Reprinted by Dover Publishing in 2003.

In our previous blog, we explored the ancient history of the monogram. We saw that for centuries, people used monograms widely – on everything from coins to letters to homes and pottery. But people really went crazy for the monogram during the Victorian Era (1837-1901). In fact, one writer of the day called the art of collecting monograms an “epidemic” and named the monogram’s most ardent fans “monogramaniacs.”

Our Whitlock Monogram is based on a popular Victorian motif.

What was going on? The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new middle class of factory owners, bankers, railroad managers, insurance agents, merchants and all the salaried professionals who helped run these businesses, as well as new ranks of civil servants, teachers, doctors and lawyers, according to Donna Loftus, author of “The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class.” Millions of people now had disposable income, and they desired some of the comforts of the upper classes. They began purchasing household goods as well as clothing, watches and jewelry, which the new economy had made more plentiful and affordable than ever before.

Celebrity and the Monogram

At the same time, the idea of celebrity took on power in popular culture. People began collecting crests and monograms of the rich and famous, according to Nancy Sharon Collins, author of The Complete Engraver. 

Queen Victoria’s Monogram went through many iterations. Here is a simple one.

Enthusiasts created albums of their most prized monograms, marks and seals. In this age of avid letter writing, “coats of arms or monograms from famous families, politicians, opera stars, or members of the theater were particularly coveted and displayed,” writes Collins.

Whole books explored and documented monogram design, such as An Encyclopedia of Monograms, published in 1884. The book included 5,000 decorative monograms to inspire artists and craftspeople.

Popular women’s magazines of the time, such as Godeys Lady’s Book and Peterson’s Magazine, regularly included alphabets, initials, names and monograms. Middle class readers copied them to embroider nearly every scrap of cloth – tablecloths, sheets, towels, pillowcases and clothing. “Hardly an item in her home escaped from being monogrammed,” writes Rita Weiss, editor of Victorian Alphabets, Monograms and Names. “Young girls learned how to embroider simple alphabets on the linens for her trousseau,” Weiss continues. “By the time she got married, her skills improved and she was ready for more expert work.”

Louis Vuitton company developed its monogram in 1896.

Monogrammed Needlework Attains Art Status

The expert needlework skills attained by women – at all levels of society – and the invention of the Jacquard loom, which spurred faster and cheaper textile manufacturing, coincided to create the perfect circumstances for a boom in monogrammed linens like we’ve never seen before or since, according to Robin Molbert in Monograms and Antique Linens. “Bold and artful monogramming burst into vogue, serving as a kind of democratizing factor in the personalization of one’s linens,” writes Molbert. In England, France and the U.S., women formed sewing and embroidery circles to enjoy and support one another in their endeavors. They shared ideas and perfected their art, incorporating many other aspects including lacework, cut-outs, florals, animal figures and much more.

To this day, many people still cherish, value and collect antique linens from the Victorian Age. A rather funny example: In December 2016, a pair of Queen Victoria’s monogrammed bloomers went on auction, expected to be sold for £6,000. Some famous monograms developed by the Victorians continue to be in vogue. The world of consumer goods offers a perfect example: The interlocking L and V on Louis Vuitton’s bags and luggage. His son Georges designed the iconic image in 1896 to increase sales.

And the practice of monogramming continues to be popular. Whether it’s stationery or wine glasses, ornaments or napkins, personalizing one’s possessions conveys tradition and a sense of pride.

Our story about the monogram isn’t over. Next we ask: what exactly is a monogram?

Explore our lines of monogrammed Cards, Notes, Notepads, Napkins & Guest Towels, and all Monogrammed Items.

Sources:

Nancy Sharon Collins. The Complete Engraver: Monograms, Crests, Ciphers, Seals, and the Etiquette of Social Stationery. Princeton Architectural Press, 2012. 

Donna Loftus. “The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class.”   BBC History. Website.

Robin Molbert. “The Royal Lineage of Table Linens.” Monograms and Antique Linens. HM Books, 2016.

J. O’Kane. An Encyclopedia of Monograms. Originally published in 1884. Reprinted by Dover Publishing in 2003.

Rita Weiss, editor.Victorian Alphabets, Monograms and Names. Dover Publishing, 1974.

You love your monogrammed stationery…it expresses your identity, connects you to tradition, and symbolizes your enjoyment of the good things in life. For all of these reasons, monogramming is undergoing a renaissance. But did you know how the monogram came to be “a thing”? In these next four posts, we look into the history of the monogram, its heyday in the Victorian era, as well as its meanings and contemporary uses.

Charlemagne’s monogram

In fact, the origins of the monogram go way back. Not on paper or even cloth: those are relatively recent applications. The first monograms were stamped on coins in ancient Greece. Along the way, monograms have bridged the gap between word and image to create potent symbols of identity and authenticity.

In Western culture, the earliest known monograms popped up on ancient Greek coins in around 300 B.C.  (In Asian cultures, since their written characters do not stand for letter sounds, the monogram evolved a little differently.) The initials belonged to the private bankers, city-states or rulers that made the currencies, according to the online Handbook of Greek Coinage. In these early days of money, when issuers wanted people to trust using it, the monograms lent authenticity.

Constantine the Great’s monogram

This practice of stamping coins with monograms continued for centuries, according to A Study of the Development of Monograms. For example, Constantine the Great, who founded Constantinople in 324 A.D. created one of the most famous monograms, a large P with an x through the stem. Another famous coin monogram belonged to the emperor Charlemagne.  He liked it so much, he decided to use his monogram instead of his face on his coins.

Signatures, Buildings, Homes and Art

The history of the monogram continued as other uses developed. Does your Grandmother have a signet ring? It derives from the fancy signet rings rulers wore that allowed them to quickly sign documents using a blop of wax. Later, masons proudly carved their monograms or stone masons’ signs into new cathedrals.

Albrecht Durer’s monogram

Around this time, people like farmers and prominent citizens began  monogramming their walls, prized equipment and even gravestones. These were called house marks.

Later in the 15th century, artists used monograms to sign their works. Italian potters created quite intricate and sometimes beautiful monograms on the bottoms of fine majolica vessels, according to Marks and Monograms on European and Oriental Pottery and Porcelain. And Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer developed one of the more famous monograms, an attractive D under an A.

But the Victorians took monogramming to a whole new level. Tune in to the next post, where we explore “monogramania” in the 1800s.

Explore our lines of monogrammed Cards, Notes, Notepads, Napkins & Guest Towels, and all Monogrammed Items.

Sources:

The Handbook of Greek Coinage

A Study of the Development of Monograms: From Ancient Greek Coins to Contemporary Logos

Marks and Monograms on European and Oriental Pottery and Porcelain. William Chaffers. 14th edition. Borden Publishing Company, Los Angeles, CA.

Here’s our Classic Monogram engraved on a cork coaster.

Here at Giftsin24, we are completely and utterly ga-ga over typography. It’s really our first love. We offer so many different lettering styles and monograms just so you can find one that perfectly expresses your personal style.

Yes, we completely enjoy the creamy, dreamy, thick paper we use. And yes, we can’t get enough of our shimmery raised inks and foil colors. And yes, we “lurve” embossing, which is, ahem, half the name of our brand of stationery, Embossed Graphics.

But typography is where it all begins. For us, typography is really all about an essential attitude. It’s about personality. It’s about STYLE.

Express Your Personal Style with Typography

If you select Dune, a bold lettering style, for your stationery, you are telling others you have the courage of your convictions. You’re a risk-taker who doesn’t back down.

If you select our Classic lettering style– best represented by our Classic Monogram — maybe you love history and custom and see yourself as part of a long tradition of manners and community and fellow-feeling.

If you select Anthony, a casual hand-lettered font, you signal a fun-loving attitude and that you’re not too invested in “the rules.”

See what we mean? Typography expresses the un-erasable part of you, the area of your psyche that can’t be denied or squished into someone else’s idea of what’s “cool.” It’s your personal style.

Not caring about typography is like not caring about the clothes you wear or the food you eat. Crazy, right? Yes, you could walk around day after day in a white t-shirt and khaki pants and eat plain pasta 3 squares a day. But where would that get you in life? And perhaps the more important question is: would life be any fun?

So the next time you select personalized stationery, pay attention to your gut reaction to each lettering style and select the one that really speaks to you. Don’t worry about what’s popular or what that next guy or gal chose. Typography is all about you.

That’s why we offer so many options– many of them exclusively created by Embossed Graphics. We know that secret, inner you is just dying to announce herself through an expression of personal style.